Rational points in the moduli space of genus two

We build a database of genus 2 curves defined over $\mathbb Q$ which contains all curves with minimal absolute height $h \leq 5$, all curves with moduli height $\mathfrak h \leq 20$, and all curves with extra automorphisms in standard form $y^2=f(x^2)$ defined over $\mathbb Q$ with height $h \leq 101$. For each isomorphism class in the database, an equation over its minimal field of definition is provided, the automorphism group of the curve, Clebsch and Igusa invariants. The distribution of rational points in the moduli space $\mathcal M_2$ for which the field of moduli is a field of definition is discussed and some open problems are presented

Household decision-making about delivery in health facilities: evidence from Tanzania.

This study investigated how partners' perceptions of the healthcare system influence decisions about delivery-location in low-resource settings. A multistage population-representative sample was used in Kasulu district, Tanzania, to identify women who had given birth in the last five years and their partners. Of 826 couples in analysis, 506 (61.3%) of the women delivered in the home. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with delivery in a health facility were agreement of partners on the importance of delivering in a health facility and agreement that skills of doctors are better than those of traditional birth attendants. When partners disagreed, the opinion of the woman was more influential in determining delivery-location. Agreement of partners regarding perceptions about the healthcare system appeared to be an important driver of decisions about delivery-location. These findings suggest that both partners should be included in the decision-making process regarding delivery to raise rates of delivery at facility

The virtual observatory service TheoSSA: Establishing a database of synthetic stellar flux standards. II. NLTE spectral analysis of the OB-type subdwarf Feige 110

In the framework of the Virtual Observatory (VO), the German Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (GAVO) developed the registered service TheoSSA (Theoretical Stellar Spectra Access). It provides easy access to stellar spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and is intended to ingest SEDs calculated by any model-atmosphere code, generally for all effective temperature, surface gravities, and elemental compositions. We will establish a database of SEDs of flux standards that are easily accessible via TheoSSA's web interface. The OB-type subdwarf Feige 110 is a standard star for flux calibration. State-of-the-art non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) stellar-atmosphere models that consider opacities of species up to trans-iron elements will be used to provide a reliable synthetic spectrum to compare with observations. In case of Feige 110, we demonstrate that the model reproduces not only its overall continuum shape from the far-ultraviolet (FUV) to the optical wavelength range but also the numerous metal lines exhibited in its FUV spectrum. We present a state-of-the-art spectral analysis of Feige 110. We determined $T_\mathrm{eff} = 47\,250 \pm 2000\,\mathrm{K}$, $\log g = 6.00 \pm 0.20$ and the abundances of He, N, P, S, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, and Ge. Ti, V, Mn, Co, Zn, and Ge were identified for the first time in this star. Upper abundance limits were derived for C, O, Si, Ca, and Sc. The TheoSSA database of theoretical SEDs of stellar flux standards guarantees that the flux calibration of astronomical data and cross-calibration between different instruments can be based on models and SEDs calculated with state-of-the-art model-atmosphere codes.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure

New Wave of Component Reuse with Spring Framework - AP Case Study

The myth of component reuse has always been the “holy grail” of software engineering. The motivation var-ies from less time, effort and money expenditure to higher system quality and reliability which is especially impor-tant in the domain of high energy physics and accelerator controls. Identified as an issue by D. McIlroy in 1968 [1], it has been generally addressed in many ways with vari-ous success rates. But only recently with the advent of fresh ideas like the Spring Framework with its powerful yet simple “Inversion of Control” paradigm the solution to the problem has started to be surprisingly uncompli-cated. Gathered over years of experience this document explains best practices and lessons learned applied at CERN for the design of the operational software used to control the accelerator complex and focuses on features of the Spring Framework that render the component reuse achievable in practice. It also provides real life use cases of mission-critical control systems developed by the Ap-plication Section like the LHC Software Architecture (LSA), the Injector Control Architecture (InCA) or the Software Interlock System (SIS) that have built their own success mostly upon a stack of reusable software components

Metal abundances in PG1159 stars from Chandra and FUSE spectroscopy

We investigate FUSE spectra of three PG1159 stars and do not find any evidence for iron lines. From a comparison with NLTE models we conclude a deficiency of 1-1.5 dex. We speculate that iron was transformed into heavier elements. A soft X-ray Chandra spectrum of the unique H- and He-deficient star H1504+65 is analyzed. We find high neon and magnesium abundances and confirm that H1504+65 is the bare core of either a C-O or a O-Ne-Mg white dwarf.Comment: To be published in: Proceedings 13th European Workshop on White Dwarfs, NATO Science Series, 4 pages, 1 figur

Modeling of orographic precipitation events in South America to couple hydrological and atmospheric models; part 1: The simulation of rain with the Mesoscale Model GESIMA

Globalmodelle sind aufgrund ihres groben Gitters (60 x 60 km) nur unzureichend in der Lage kleinskalige Prozesse (orographische Niederschlagsverstärkung) in der Atmosphäre aufzulösen. Mit Mesoskalenmodellen z.B. dem GESIMA (5 x 5 km) können deshalb die physikalische Grundlagen der Atmosphäre (Wolken- und Niederschlagsbildung) besser studiert und eine Kopplung mit hydrologischen Abflussmodellen erprobt werden. Zukünftig sieht dieses Projekt genau das vor, wobei der erste Teil, die Arbeit mit dem meteorologische Modell hier vorgestellt werden soll. Starkniederschlagserreignisse sind vielerorts auf der Welt mit charakteristischen Wetterlagen verbunden, die quasi über Tage unverändert ergiebigen Regen produzieren. Initialisiert mit den lokalen Vertikalprofilen aus Radiosondendaten, produzieren das prognostische Mesoskalenmodell GESIMA und das diagnostische Niederschlagsberechungsverfahren (MAXRR) maximale Regenmengen vergleichbarer Größenordnung.Global models are insufficient to solve small scale atmospheric processes (e.g. orographic precipitation) due to their gross resolution (60 x 60 km). With mesoscale models e.g. the GESIMA (5 x 5 km), the physical fundamentals of the atmosphere (formation of precipitation and clouds) can better be studied and a coupling with hydrological models be tested through. This project plans exactly, as a first step, the work with the cited meteorological model. Heavy rainfall events are connected with characteristic weather conditions in many places in the world which produce invariably rain quasi over days. Initialized with the local vertical profiles from radiosonde data, the prediction model GESIMA and the diagnostic model MAXRR produced rain quantities of comparable order of magnitude