1,931 research outputs found
Evaluating techniques for sampling stream crayfish (paranephrops planifrons)
We evaluated several capture and analysis techniques for estimating abundance and size structure of freshwater crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons) (koura) from a forested North Island, New Zealand stream to provide a methodological basis for future population studies. Direct observation at night and collecting with baited traps were not considered useful. A quadrat sampler was highly biased toward collecting small individuals. Handnetting at night and estimating abundances using the depletion method were not as efficient as handnetting on different dates and analysing by a mark-recapture technique. Electrofishing was effective in collecting koura from different habitats and resulted in the highest abundance estimates, and mark-recapture estimates appeared to be more precise than depletion estimates, especially if multiple recaptures were made. Handnetting captured more large crayfish relative to electrofishing or the quadrat sampler
A q-deformed nonlinear map
A scheme of q-deformation of nonlinear maps is introduced. As a specific
example, a q-deformation procedure related to the Tsallis q-exponential
function is applied to the logistic map. Compared to the canonical logistic
map, the resulting family of q-logistic maps is shown to have a wider spectrum
of interesting behaviours, including the co-existence of attractors -- a
phenomenon rare in one dimensional maps.Comment: 17 pages, 19 figure
Detection of X-ray Emission from Gravitationally Lensed Submillimeter Sources in the Field of Abell 370
We report the detection by Chandra of SMM J02399-0134 and SMM J02399-0136,
two distant (z=1.06 and z=2.81, respectively) submillimeter sources
gravitationally magnified by the galaxy cluster Abell 370. These are
high-significance (> 7-sigma) X-ray detections of the high-redshift
submillimeter source population. The X-ray positions are coincident with the
optical positions to within one arcsecond. The X-ray spectra, while of low
signal-to-noise ratio, are quite hard. Absorbed power law models with fixed
photon indices of imply local absorbing columns cm and unabsorbed luminosities erg s in both
sources. These results imply that nuclear activity is responsible for the bulk
of the luminosity in SMM J02399-0134, and for at least 20% of the luminosity of
SMM J02399-0136, consistent with previous optical observations. We also place
an upper limit on the X-ray flux of a third submillimeter source, SMM
J02400-0134. Considered together with previously published Chandra upper limits
on X-ray flux from submillimeter sources, our results imply that
% of submillimeter sources exhibit X-ray emission from AGN
(90% confidence), consistent with expectations of their contribution to the
diffuse X-ray background.Comment: Corrected typos in Figure 1 labels; Accepted for publication in ApJ
Letters, 6 pages, 2 figures, latex requires emulateapj5.st
Microscopic theory of glassy dynamics and glass transition for molecular crystals
We derive a microscopic equation of motion for the dynamical orientational
correlators of molecular crystals. Our approach is based upon mode coupling
theory. Compared to liquids we find four main differences: (i) the memory
kernel contains Umklapp processes, (ii) besides the static two-molecule
orientational correlators one also needs the static one-molecule orientational
density as an input, where the latter is nontrivial, (iii) the static
orientational current density correlator does contribute an anisotropic,
inertia-independent part to the memory kernel, (iv) if the molecules are
assumed to be fixed on a rigid lattice, the tensorial orientational correlators
and the memory kernel have vanishing l,l'=0 components. The resulting mode
coupling equations are solved for hard ellipsoids of revolution on a rigid
sc-lattice. Using the static orientational correlators from Percus-Yevick
theory we find an ideal glass transition generated due to precursors of
orientational order which depend on X and p, the aspect ratio and packing
fraction of the ellipsoids. The glass formation of oblate ellipsoids is
enhanced compared to that for prolate ones. For oblate ellipsoids with X <~ 0.7
and prolate ellipsoids with X >~ 4, the critical diagonal nonergodicity
parameters in reciprocal space exhibit more or less sharp maxima at the zone
center with very small values elsewhere, while for prolate ellipsoids with 2 <~
X <~ 2.5 we have maxima at the zone edge. The off-diagonal nonergodicity
parameters are not restricted to positive values and show similar behavior. For
0.7 <~ X <~ 2, no glass transition is found. In the glass phase, the
nonergodicity parameters show a pronounced q-dependence.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures, accepted at Phys. Rev. E. v4 is almost
identical to the final paper version. It includes, compared to former
versions v2/v3, no new physical content, but only some corrected formulas in
the appendices and corrected typos in text. In comparison to version v1, in
v2-v4 some new results have been included and text has been change
Large-Scale Simulations of Clusters of Galaxies
We discuss some of the computational challenges encountered in simulating the
evolution of clusters of galaxies. Eulerian adaptive mesh refinement (AMR)
techniques can successfully address these challenges but are currently being
used by only a few groups. We describe our publicly available AMR code, FLASH,
which uses an object-oriented framework to manage its AMR library, physics
modules, and automated verification. We outline the development of the FLASH
framework to include collisionless particles, permitting it to be used for
cluster simulation.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Proceedings of the VII International
Workshop on Advanced Computing and Analysis Techniques in Physics Research
(ACAT 2000), Fermilab, Oct. 16-20, 200
Sarcoidosis of the hypothalamus and pituitary stalk
We report a rare case of sarcoidosis of the hypothalamic and suprasellar region, with clinical course and the magnetic resonance imaging follow-up
Habitat Characteristics of Black Crappie Nest Sites in an Illinois Impoundment
Ten nest colonies of black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus were visually located and verified by angling in Campus Lake, a small urban impoundment in southern Illinois. Habitat characteristics were measured at these nest sites and compared to habitat measurements obtained from 45 unused sites. Seven habitat characteristics (substrate firmness, temperature, dissolved oxygen, distance to deep water [3.8-m depth contour], substrate type, vegetation height, and vegetation density) were significantly different between nest sites and unused sites. Although temperature and dissolved oxygen were significantly different between nest sites and unused sites, all values were within the suitable range for black crappie spawning to occur. Black crappies selected nest sites close to deep water with firm substrates and low vegetation height and density. Our results present insight on habitat characteristics of black crappie spawning locations in a small urban impoundment. Interestingly, we located several black crappie nesting colonies with more than 10 individual nests in close proximity to one another; colonial nesting by black crappies has not previously been reported in the literature. Furthermore, we suggest that degree of shoreline modification and other anthropogenic influences in and adjacent to Campus Lake did not affect black crappie nest site selection. Black crappie nest sites in Campus Lake were always located near deep water (3.8 m), in low-density, short vegetation, and on firm clay or sand substrate; because nest site selection can influence earlylife survival and recruitment of black crappie, the availability of these habitat characteristics may regulate black crappie population demographics in Campus Lake. Efforts to limit sediment inputs will be important for maintaining suitable black crappie spawning habitat in Campus Lake and other small impoundments
Cube law, condition factor and weight-length relationships: history, meta-analysis and recommendations
This study presents a historical review, a meta-analysis, and recommendations for users about weightâlength relationships, condition factors and relative weight equations. The historical review traces the developments of the respective concepts. The meta-analysis explores 3929 weightâlength relationships of the type W = aLb for 1773 species of fishes. It shows that 82% of the variance in a plot of log a over b can be explained by allometric versus isometric growth patterns and by different body shapes of the respective species. Across species median b = 3.03 is significantly larger than 3.0, thus indicating a tendency towards slightly positive-allometric growth (increase in relative body thickness or plumpness) in most fishes. The expected range of 2.5 < b < 3.5 is confirmed. Mean estimates of b outside this range are often based on only one or two weightâlength relationships per species. However, true cases of strong allometric growth do exist and three examples are given. Within species, a plot of log a vs b can be used to detect outliers in weightâlength relationships. An equation to calculate mean condition factors from weightâlength relationships is given as Kmean = 100aLbâ3. Relative weight Wrm = 100W/(amLbm) can be used for comparing the condition of individuals across populations, where am is the geometric mean of a and bm is the mean of b across all available weightâlength relationships for a given species. Twelve recommendations for proper use and presentation of weightâlength relationships, condition factors and relative weight are given
The Interplanetary Network Supplement to the BeppoSAX Gamma-Ray Burst Catalogs
Between 1996 July and 2002 April, one or more spacecraft of the
interplanetary network detected 787 cosmic gamma-ray bursts that were also
detected by the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor and/or Wide-Field X-Ray Camera
experiments aboard the BeppoSAX spacecraft. During this period, the network
consisted of up to six spacecraft, and using triangulation, the localizations
of 475 bursts were obtained. We present the localization data for these events.Comment: 89 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal
Supplement Serie
The Impact of Galaxy Cluster Mergers on Cosmological Parameter Estimation from Surveys of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect
Sensitive surveys of the Cosmic Microwave Background will detect thousands of
galaxy clusters via the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect. Two SZ observables, the
central or maximum and integrated Comptonization parameters y_max and Y, relate
in a simple way to the total cluster mass, which allow the construction of mass
functions (MFs) that can be used to estimate cosmological parameters such as
Omega_M, sigma_8, and the dark energy parameter w. However, clusters form from
the mergers of smaller structures, events that can disrupt the equilibrium of
intracluster gas upon which SZ-M relations rely. From a set of
N-body/hydrodynamical simulations of binary cluster mergers, we calculate the
evolution of Y and y_max over the course of merger events and find that both
parameters are transiently "boosted," primarily during the first core passage.
We then use a semi-analytic technique developed by Randall et al. (2002) to
estimate the effect of merger boosts on the distribution functions YF and yF of
Y and y_max, respectively, via cluster merger histories determined from
extended Press-Schechter (PS) merger trees. We find that boosts do not induce
an overall systematic effect on YFs, and the values of Omega_M, sigma_8, and w
were returned to within 2% of values expected from the nonboosted YFs. The
boosted yFs are significantly biased, however, causing Omega_M to be
underestimated by 15-45%, sigma_8 to be overestimated by 10-25%, and w to be
pushed to more negative values by 25-45%. We confirm that the integrated SZ
effect, Y, is far more robust to mergers than y_max, as previously reported by
Motl et al. (2005) and similarly found for the X-ray equivalent Y_X, and we
conclude that Y is the superior choice for constraining cosmological
parameters.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
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