325 research outputs found
Bloemtak-uitloop Phalaenopsis: effect van temperatuur, lichtspectrum en daglengte
Growing Phalaenopsis is energy-intensive due to the need of lighting in winter, a warm vegetative phase(29°C) and cooling for fl ower induction (± 8 weeks 19°C) in summer. Commissioned by Kas als Energiebron,the cooperation of pot orchid growers and supported by Philips and Hermadix, Wageningen UR GreenhouseHorticulture and Plant Lighting investigated practical strategies for energy saving on cooling and lighting.Depending on the variety, it is possible to cool less (22°C) in the fi rst 2 to 3 weeks of the fl ower induction phasewithout negative effects on the number of spikes and fl ower buds. For the fastest cultivar tested however, 2weeks of 22°C was too long, which makes practical applicability diffi cult. Additional lighting in summer with alow intensity of red light in the evening or during the day had no positive effects. There were no differences inplant quality when plants were illuminated with red/blue LED-light or SON-T (4 mol/m2/day supplemental lamplight) during fl ower induction when plant temperature was kept equal. So lighting with LEDs can save electricityfor lighting, but also for cooling in periods with supplemental lighting and relative warm outside air temperatures(autumn/spring). Shortening of day length from 15 to 12 hours during the fl ower induction phase (cooling) insummer had no positive effects on the number of spikes when crop temperatures were kept equal
A Statistical Study on the Morphology of Rays and Dynamics of Blobs in the Wake of Coronal Mass Ejections
In this paper, with a survey through the Large Angle and Spectrometric
Coronagraph (LASCO) data from 1996 to 2009, we present 11 events with plasma
blobs flowing outwards sequentially along a bright coronal ray in the wake of a
coronal mass ejection. The ray is believed to be associated with the current
sheet structure that formed as a result of solar eruption, and the blobs are
products of magnetic reconnection occurring along the current sheet. The ray
morphology and blob dynamics are investigated statistically. It is found that
the apparent angular widths of the rays at a fixed time vary in a range of
2.1-6.6 (2.0-4.4) degrees with an average of 3.5 (2.9) degrees at 3 (4) Rs,
respectively, and the observed durations of the events vary from 12 h to a few
days with an average of 27 h. It is also found, based on the analysis of blob
motions, that 58% (26) of the blobs were accelerated, 20% (9) were decelerated,
and 22% (10) moved with a nearly-constant speed. Comparing the dynamics of our
blobs and those that are observed above the tip of a helmet streamer, we find
that the speeds and accelerations of the blobs in these two cases differ
significantly. It is suggested that these differences of the blob dynamics stem
from the associated magnetic reconnection involving different magnetic field
configurations and triggering processes.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, accepted by Solar Physic
Effect of Solar Wind Drag on the Determination of the Properties of Coronal Mass Ejections from Heliospheric Images
The Fixed-\Phi (F\Phi) and Harmonic Mean (HM) fitting methods are two methods
to determine the average direction and velocity of coronal mass ejections
(CMEs) from time-elongation tracks produced by Heliospheric Imagers (HIs), such
as the HIs onboard the STEREO spacecraft. Both methods assume a constant
velocity in their descriptions of the time-elongation profiles of CMEs, which
are used to fit the observed time-elongation data. Here, we analyze the effect
of aerodynamic drag on CMEs propagating through interplanetary space, and how
this drag affects the result of the F\Phi and HM fitting methods. A simple drag
model is used to analytically construct time-elongation profiles which are then
fitted with the two methods. It is found that higher angles and velocities give
rise to greater error in both methods, reaching errors in the direction of
propagation of up to 15 deg and 30 deg for the F\Phi and HM fitting methods,
respectively. This is due to the physical accelerations of the CMEs being
interpreted as geometrical accelerations by the fitting methods. Because of the
geometrical definition of the HM fitting method, it is affected by the
acceleration more greatly than the F\Phi fitting method. Overall, we find that
both techniques overestimate the initial (and final) velocity and direction for
fast CMEs propagating beyond 90 deg from the Sun-spacecraft line, meaning that
arrival times at 1 AU would be predicted early (by up to 12 hours). We also
find that the direction and arrival time of a wide and decelerating CME can be
better reproduced by the F\Phi due to the cancellation of two errors:
neglecting the CME width and neglecting the CME deceleration. Overall, the
inaccuracies of the two fitting methods are expected to play an important role
in the prediction of CME hit and arrival times as we head towards solar maximum
and the STEREO spacecraft further move behind the Sun.Comment: Solar Physics, Online First, 17 page
Speeds and arrival times of solar transients approximated by self-similar expanding circular fronts
The NASA STEREO mission opened up the possibility to forecast the arrival
times, speeds and directions of solar transients from outside the Sun-Earth
line. In particular, we are interested in predicting potentially geo-effective
Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs) from observations of density
structures at large observation angles from the Sun (with the STEREO
Heliospheric Imager instrument). We contribute to this endeavor by deriving
analytical formulas concerning a geometric correction for the ICME speed and
arrival time for the technique introduced by Davies et al. (2012, ApJ, in
press) called Self-Similar Expansion Fitting (SSEF). This model assumes that a
circle propagates outward, along a plane specified by a position angle (e.g.
the ecliptic), with constant angular half width (lambda). This is an extension
to earlier, more simple models: Fixed-Phi-Fitting (lambda = 0 degree) and
Harmonic Mean Fitting (lambda = 90 degree). This approach has the advantage
that it is possible to assess clearly, in contrast to previous models, if a
particular location in the heliosphere, such as a planet or spacecraft, might
be expected to be hit by the ICME front. Our correction formulas are especially
significant for glancing hits, where small differences in the direction greatly
influence the expected speeds (up to 100-200 km/s) and arrival times (up to two
days later than the apex). For very wide ICMEs (2 lambda > 120 degree), the
geometric correction becomes very similar to the one derived by M\"ostl et al.
(2011, ApJ, 741, id. 34) for the Harmonic Mean model. These analytic
expressions can also be used for empirical or analytical models to predict the
1 AU arrival time of an ICME by correcting for effects of hits by the flank
rather than the apex, if the width and direction of the ICME in a plane are
known and a circular geometry of the ICME front is assumed.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in "Solar Physics
Can induced gravity isotropize Bianchi I, V, or IX Universes?
We analyze if Bianchi I, V, and IX models in the Induced Gravity (IG) theory
can evolve to a Friedmann--Roberson--Walker (FRW) expansion due to the
non--minimal coupling of gravity and the scalar field. The analytical results
that we found for the Brans-Dicke (BD) theory are now applied to the IG theory
which has ( being the square ratio of the Higgs to
Planck mass) in a cosmological era in which the IG--potential is not
significant. We find that the isotropization mechanism crucially depends on the
value of . Its smallness also permits inflationary solutions. For the
Bianch V model inflation due to the Higgs potential takes place afterwads, and
subsequently the spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) ends with an effective FRW
evolution. The ordinary tests of successful cosmology are well satisfied.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. D1
What is the Nature of EUV Waves? First STEREO 3D Observations and Comparison with Theoretical Models
One of the major discoveries of the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope
(EIT) on SOHO were intensity enhancements propagating over a large fraction of
the solar surface. The physical origin(s) of the so-called `EIT' waves is still
strongly debated. They are considered to be either wave (primarily fast-mode
MHD waves) or non-wave (pseudo-wave) interpretations. The difficulty in
understanding the nature of EUV waves lies with the limitations of the EIT
observations which have been used almost exclusively for their study. Their
limitations are largely overcome by the SECCHI/EUVI observations on-board the
STEREO mission. The EUVI telescopes provide high cadence, simultaneous
multi-temperature coverage, and two well-separated viewpoints. We present here
the first detailed analysis of an EUV wave observed by the EUVI disk imagers on
December 07, 2007 when the STEREO spacecraft separation was .
Both a small flare and a CME were associated with the wave cadence, and single
temperature and viewpoint coverage. These limitations are largely overcome by
the SECCHI/EUVI observations on-board the STEREO mission. The EUVI telescopes
provide high cadence, simultaneous multi-temperature coverage, and two
well-separated viewpoints. Our findings give significant support for a
fast-mode interpretation of EUV waves and indicate that they are probably
triggered by the rapid expansion of the loops associated with the CME.Comment: Solar Physics, 2009, Special STEREO Issue, in pres
Measurement of Gamma(phi -> eta' gamma)/Gamma(phi -> eta gamma) and the pseudoscalar mixing angle
We have measured the radiative decays phi -> eta gamma, phi ->etaprime gamma
selecting pi+ pi- gamma gamma gamma final state in a sample of about 5 times
10^7 phi mesons produced at the Frascati phi factory DAFNE. We obtain Gamma(phi
-> etaprime gamma)/Gamma(phi -> eta gamma)=(4.70 +- 0.47 +- 0.31) times 10^-3.
From this result we derive new accurate values for the branching ratio BR(phi
->etaprime gamma) = (6.10 +- 0.61 +- 0.43) times 10^-5, and the mixing angle of
pseudoscalar mesons in the flavour basis phi_P=(41.8 +1.9 -1.6) degrees.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett.
CMB-Cluster Lensing
Clusters of galaxies are powerful cosmological probes, particularly if their
masses can be determined. One possibility for mass determination is to study
the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on small angular scales and observe
deviations from a pure gradient due to lensing of massive clusters. I show
that, neglecting contamination, this technique has the power to determine
cluster masses very accurately, in agreement with estimates by Seljak and
Zaldarriaga (1999). However, the intrinsic small scale structure of the CMB
significantly degrades this power. The resulting mass constraints are useless
unless one imposes a prior on the concentration parameter c. With even a modest
prior on c, an ambitious CMB experiment (0.5' resolution and 1 microK per
pixel) could determine masses of high redshift (z>0.5) clusters with ~ 30%
accuracy.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figure
Unconventional Cosmology
I review two cosmological paradigms which are alternative to the current
inflationary scenario. The first alternative is the "matter bounce", a
non-singular bouncing cosmology with a matter-dominated phase of contraction.
The second is an "emergent" scenario, which can be implemented in the context
of "string gas cosmology". I will compare these scenarios with the inflationary
one and demonstrate that all three lead to an approximately scale-invariant
spectrum of cosmological perturbations.Comment: 45 pages, 10 figures; invited lectures at the 6th Aegean Summer
School "Quantum Gravity and Quantum Cosmology", Chora, Naxos, Greece, Sept.
12 - 17 2012, to be publ. in the proceedings; these lecture notes form an
updated version of arXiv:1003.1745 and arXiv:1103.227
An examination of intentions of recommending fitness centers by user members
The goal of this study was to examine what experiences members have with fitness centers that influence
their intentions for recommendation. After item generation and content validity, as well as a pilot test, a survey was
conducted among members of five different clubs (n=1750). The questionnaire included measures of service quality
attributes, accessibility, well-being in life, well-being in a club, and intentions to recommend a fitness center. Results
using a structural equation model provide evidence that only service quality attributes and well-being in a club have
positive effect on intentions of users to recommend it. Well-being in life has a negative effect on the intentions for recommendation,
while accessibility shows no predictive effect. These findings suggest implications for the management
of a club, such as the need to create a pleasant environment and to provide a personalized service directed towards the
members’ goals in order to improve well-being in a club and contribute to increase the intentions to recommend the
fitness centers to others.O objetivo
deste estudo foi examinar como as experiências de usuários de centros de atividade fÃsica interferem nas intenções em
recomendar serviços. Depois de gerar itens e validar o conteúdo, aplicou-se um pré-teste, o questionário final foi aplicado
a sócios de cinco clubes de fitness (n=1.750). O questionário incluiu atributos da qualidade do serviço, acessibilidade,
bem-estar na vida, bem-estar no clube e intenção de recomendar. O modelo de equações estruturais mostrou que apenas
os atributos da qualidade do serviço e bem-estar no clube têm um efeito positivo sobre as intenções de recomendar.
O bem-estar na vida tem um efeito negativo sobre as intenções para recomendar, enquanto que a acessibilidade não
mostra nenhum efeito preditivo. Estas conclusões sugerem a necessidade de criar um ambiente agradável nos clubes e
de oferecer um serviço personalizado para os objetivos dos sócios, a fim de melhorar o bem-estar no clube e contribuir
para a intenção de recomendar o ginásio.
Palavras-chave: intenção de recomendar, atributos da qualSin financiación0.191 SJR (2014) Q3, posición 172/231 Health (social science), 1027/1811 Medicine (miscellaneous); Q4, 112/128 Sports scienceUE
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