Nonlinear evolution of the magnetized Kelvin-Helmholtz instability: from fluid to kinetic modeling

The nonlinear evolution of collisionless plasmas is typically a multi-scale process where the energy is injected at large, fluid scales and dissipated at small, kinetic scales. Accurately modelling the global evolution requires to take into account the main micro-scale physical processes of interest. This is why comparison of different plasma models is today an imperative task aiming at understanding cross-scale processes in plasmas. We report here the first comparative study of the evolution of a magnetized shear flow, through a variety of different plasma models by using magnetohydrodynamic, Hall-MHD, two-fluid, hybrid kinetic and full kinetic codes. Kinetic relaxation effects are discussed to emphasize the need for kinetic equilibriums to study the dynamics of collisionless plasmas in non trivial configurations. Discrepancies between models are studied both in the linear and in the nonlinear regime of the magnetized Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, to highlight the effects of small scale processes on the nonlinear evolution of collisionless plasmas. We illustrate how the evolution of a magnetized shear flow depends on the relative orientation of the fluid vorticity with respect to the magnetic field direction during the linear evolution when kinetic effects are taken into account. Even if we found that small scale processes differ between the different models, we show that the feedback from small, kinetic scales to large, fluid scales is negligable in the nonlinear regime. This study show that the kinetic modeling validates the use of a fluid approach at large scales, which encourages the development and use of fluid codes to study the nonlinear evolution of magnetized fluid flows, even in the colisionless regime

Infrared and THz studies of polar phonons and improper magnetodielectric effect in multiferroic BFO3 ceramics

BFO3 ceramics were investigated by means of infrared reflectivity and time domain THz transmission spectroscopy at temperatures 20 - 950 K, and the magnetodielectric effect was studied at 10 - 300 K, with the magnetic field up to 9 T. Below 175 K, the sum of polar phonon contributions into the permittivity corresponds to the value of measured permittivity below 1 MHz. At higher temperatures, a giant low-frequency permittivity was observed, obviously due to the enhanced conductivity and possible Maxwell-Wagner contribution. Above 200 K the observed magnetodielectric effect is caused essentially through the combination of magnetoresistance and the Maxwell-Wagner effect, as recently predicted by Catalan (Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 102902 (2006)). Since the magnetodielectric effect does not occur due to a coupling of polarization and magnetization as expected in magnetoferroelectrics, we call it improper magnetodielectric effect. Below 175 K the magnetodielectric effect is by several orders of magnitude lower due to the decreased conductivity. Several phonons exhibit gradual softening with increasing temperature, which explains the previously observed high-frequency permittivity increase on heating. The observed non-complete phonon softening seems to be the consequence of the first-order nature of the ferroelectric transition.Comment: subm. to PRB. revised version according to referees' report

Babesia spp. in ticks and wildlife in different habitat types of Slovakia

Background: Babesiosis is an emerging and potentially zoonotic disease caused by tick-borne piroplasmids of the Babesia genus. New genetic variants of piroplasmids with unknown associations to vectors and hosts are recognized. Data on the occurrence of Babesia spp. in ticks and wildlife widen the knowledge on the geographical distribution and circulation of piroplasmids in natural foci. Questing and rodent-attached ticks, rodents, and birds were screened for the presence of Babesia-specific DNA using molecular methods. Spatial and temporal differences of Babesia spp. prevalence in ticks and rodents from two contrasting habitats of Slovakia with sympatric occurrence of Ixodes ricinus and Haemaphysalis concinna ticks and co-infections of Candidatus N. mikurensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum were investigated. Results: Babesia spp. were detected in 1.5 % and 6.6 % of questing I. ricinus and H. concinna, respectively. Prevalence of Babesia-infected I. ricinus was higher in a natural than an urban/suburban habitat. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Babesia spp. from I. ricinus clustered with Babesia microti, Babesia venatorum, Babesia canis, Babesia capreoli/Babesia divergens, and Babesia odocoilei. Babesia spp. amplified from H. concinna segregated into two monophyletic clades, designated Babesia sp. 1 (Eurasia) and Babesia sp. 2 (Eurasia), each of which represents a yet undescribed novel species. The prevalence of infection in rodents (with Apodemus flavicollis and Myodes glareolus prevailing) with B. microti was 1.3 % in an urban/suburban and 4.2 % in a natural habitat. The majority of infected rodents (81.3 %) were positive for spleen and blood and the remaining for lungs and/or skin. Rodent-attached I. ricinus (accounting for 96.3 %) and H. concinna were infected with B. microti, B. venatorum, B. capreoli/B. divergens, Babesia sp. 1 (Eurasia), and Babesia sp. 2 (Eurasia). All B. microti and B. venatorum isolates were identical to known zoonotic strains from Europe. Less than 1.0 % of Babesia-positive ticks and rodents carried Candidatus N. mikurensis or A. phagocytophilum.Inst. de PatobiologíaFil: Hamsikova, Zuzana. Slovak Academy of Sciences. Institute of Zoology; EslovaquiaFil: Kazimirová, Mária. Slovak Academy of Sciences. Institute of Zoology; EslovaquiaFil: Harustiakova, Danka. Masaryk University. Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Science, Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses; República ChecaFil: Mahrikova, Lenka. Slovak Academy of Sciences. Institute of Zoology; EslovaquiaFil: Slovak, Mirko. Slovak Academy of Sciences. Institute of Zoology; EslovaquiaFil: Berthova, Lenka. Slovak Academy of Sciences. Biomedical Research Center. Institute of Virology; EslovaquiaFil: Kocianova, Elena. Slovak Academy of Sciences. Biomedical Research Center. Institute of Virology; EslovaquiaFil: Schnittger, Leonhard. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Patobiología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Zmiany mikrostruktury i właściwości mechaniczne walcowanej na zimno, dwufazowej stali C-Mn po procesie ciągłego wyżarzania w warunkach laboratoryjnych

The article deals with the influence of annealing parameters on evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties of dual phase steel. Dual phase steel was annealed in laboratory conditions according to the three chosen cycles of annealing: into intercritical region (780°C), into austenite region (920°C) and into austenite region (920°C) by subsequently cooling into intercritical region (780°C) with the hold at the temperature of 495°C. Simulation of annealing regimes by thermo-mechanical simulator Gleeble was done. The obtained microstructure consists from three phases: ferritic matrix, martensite and martensite/ bainite grains. For the microstructure identification the TEM and nanoindentation experiments were performed.Praca dotyczy wpływu parametrów wyżarzania na zmiany mikrostruktury i właściwości mechaniczne stali dwufazowej C-Mn. Stal dwufazową poddano wyżarzaniu w warunkach laboratoryjnych według trzech wybranych cykli: w zakresie między krytycznym (780°C). w obszarze austenitu (920°C) i w obszarze austenitu (920°C) ze schładzaniem do zakresu międzykrytycznego (780°C) przy temperaturze wytrzymania 495°C. Przeprowadzono symulację schematów wyżarzania przy użyciu symulatora obróbki cieplno-plastycznej Gleeble. Uzyskana mikrostruktura składa się z trzech faz: osnowy terrytycznej. martenzytu oraz ziaren martenzytu/bainitu. W celu identyfikacji mikrostruktury wykonano badania metodą TEM oraz nanoindentacji

Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of C-Mn Cold Rolled Dual Phase Steel after Continuous Annealing Process in Laboratory Conditions

The article deals with the influence of annealing parameters on evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties of dual phase steel. Dual phase steel was annealed in laboratory conditions according to the three chosen cycles of annealing: into intercritical region (780°C), into austenite region (920°C) and into austenite region (920°C) by subsequently cooling into intercritical region (780°C) with the hold at the temperature of 495°C. Simulation of annealing regimes by thermo-mechanical simulator Gleeble was done. The obtained microstructure consists from three phases: ferritic matrix, martensite and martensite/ bainite grains. For the microstructure identification the TEM and nanoindentation experiments were performed.Praca dotyczy wpływu parametrów wyżarzania na zmiany mikrostruktury i właściwości mechaniczne stali dwufazowej C-Mn. Stal dwufazową poddano wyżarzaniu w warunkach laboratoryjnych według trzech wybranych cykli: w zakresie między krytycznym (780°C). w obszarze austenitu (920°C) i w obszarze austenitu (920°C) ze schładzaniem do zakresu międzykrytycznego (780°C) przy temperaturze wytrzymania 495°C. Przeprowadzono symulację schematów wyżarzania przy użyciu symulatora obróbki cieplno-plastycznej Gleeble. Uzyskana mikrostruktura składa się z trzech faz: osnowy terrytycznej. martenzytu oraz ziaren martenzytu/bainitu. W celu identyfikacji mikrostruktury wykonano badania metodą TEM oraz nanoindentacji