Binary Collisions and the Slingshot Effect

We derive the equations for the gravity assist manoeuvre in the general 2D case without the constraints of circular planetary orbits or widely different masses as assumed by Broucke, and obtain the slingshot conditions and maximum energy gain for arbitrary mass ratios of two colliding rigid bodies. Using the geometric view developed in an earlier paper by the authors the possible trajectories are computed for both attractive or repulsive interactions yielding a further insight on the slingshot mechanics and its parametrization. The general slingshot manoeuvre for arbitrary masses is explained as a particular case of the possible outcomes of attractive or repulsive binary collisions, and the correlation between asymptotic information and orbital parameters is obtained in general.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication Dec'07, Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronom

Hydrogen-Helium Mixtures at High Pressure

The properties of hydrogen-helium mixtures at high pressure are crucial to address important questions about the interior of Giant planets e.g. whether Jupiter has a rocky core and did it emerge via core accretion? Using path integral Monte Carlo simulations, we study the properties of these mixtures as a function of temperature, density and composition. The equation of state is calculated and compared to chemical models. We probe the accuracy of the ideal mixing approximation commonly used in such models. Finally, we discuss the structure of the liquid in terms of pair correlation functions.Comment: Proceedings article of the 5th Conference on Cryocrystals and Quantum Crystals in Wroclaw, Poland, submitted to J. Low. Temp. Phys. (2004

Soil biochemistry and microbial activity in vineyards under conventional and organic management at Northeast Brazil.

The São Francisco Submedium Valley is located at the Brazilian semiarid region and is an important center for irrigated fruit growing. This region is responsible for 97% of the national exportation of table grapes, including seedless grapes. Based on the fact that orgThe São Francisco Submedium Valley is located at the Brazilian semiarid region and is an important center for irrigated fruit growing. This region is responsible for 97% of the national exportation of table grapes, including seedless grapes. Based on the fact that organic fertilization can improve soil quality, we compared the effects of conventional and organic soil management on microbial activity and mycorrhization of seedless grape crops. We measured glomerospores number, most probable number (MPN) of propagules, richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species, AMF root colonization, EE-BRSP production, carbon microbial biomass (C-MB), microbial respiration, fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activity (FDA) and metabolic coefficient (qCO2). The organic management led to an increase in all variables with the exception of EE-BRSP and qCO2. Mycorrhizal colonization increased from 4.7% in conventional crops to 15.9% in organic crops. Spore number ranged from 4.1 to 12.4 per 50 g-1 soil in both management systems. The most probable number of AMF propagules increased from 79 cm-3 soil in the conventional system to 110 cm-3 soil in the organic system. Microbial carbon, CO2 emission, and FDA activity were increased by 100 to 200% in the organic crop. Thirteen species of AMF were identified, the majority in the organic cultivation system. Acaulospora excavata, Entrophospora infrequens, Glomus sp.3 and Scutellospora sp. were found only in the organically managed crop. S. gregaria was found only in the conventional crop. Organically managed vineyards increased mycorrhization and general soil microbial activity

Horizontal Branch Stars: The Interplay between Observations and Theory, and Insights into the Formation of the Galaxy

We review HB stars in a broad astrophysical context, including both variable and non-variable stars. A reassessment of the Oosterhoff dichotomy is presented, which provides unprecedented detail regarding its origin and systematics. We show that the Oosterhoff dichotomy and the distribution of globular clusters (GCs) in the HB morphology-metallicity plane both exclude, with high statistical significance, the possibility that the Galactic halo may have formed from the accretion of dwarf galaxies resembling present-day Milky Way satellites such as Fornax, Sagittarius, and the LMC. A rediscussion of the second-parameter problem is presented. A technique is proposed to estimate the HB types of extragalactic GCs on the basis of integrated far-UV photometry. The relationship between the absolute V magnitude of the HB at the RR Lyrae level and metallicity, as obtained on the basis of trigonometric parallax measurements for the star RR Lyrae, is also revisited, giving a distance modulus to the LMC of (m-M)_0 = 18.44+/-0.11. RR Lyrae period change rates are studied. Finally, the conductive opacities used in evolutionary calculations of low-mass stars are investigated. [ABRIDGED]Comment: 56 pages, 22 figures. Invited review, to appear in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

A guided tour of asynchronous cellular automata

Research on asynchronous cellular automata has received a great amount of attention these last years and has turned to a thriving field. We survey the recent research that has been carried out on this topic and present a wide state of the art where computing and modelling issues are both represented.Comment: To appear in the Journal of Cellular Automat

Influence of the scrotum bipartite on the reproductive parameters in goats

Avaliou-se a influência do grau de bipartição escrotal sobre os parâmetros reprodutivos em caprinos. Foram utilizados 30 animais, distribuídos em três grupos: Grupo I, animais que apresentavam escroto sem bipartição (n =10); Grupo II, animais com bipartição escrotal até 50% do comprimento dos testículos (n=10); e Grupo III, caprinos com bipartição escrotal acima de 50% do comprimento testicular (n=10). Os parâmetros avaliados foram peso corporal, perímetro escrotal, comprimento testicular, características físicas e morfológicas do sêmen, concentração plasmática de testosterona e libido dos animais, comparando caprinos com escroto bipartido e não bipartido. Os animais que apresentavam bipartição escrotal expressaram maior peso corporal e comprimento testicular, quando comparados com os animais do grupo sem escroto bipartido, sendo que estes apresentaram maior número de células espermáticas defeituosas. Conclui-se que a bipartição escrotal influencia positivamente alguns parâmetros biométricos bem como a qualidade do sêmen em caprinos.The influence of scrotum division on the reproductive parameters in goats was evaluated. Thirty animals were divided into three groups of 10 animals each as follows. Group I: animals with simple scrotum (n=10); Group II: animals with 50% of scrotum bipartite (n=10); and Group III: animals with more than 50% of scrotum bipartite (n=10). It was evaluated: body weight, scrotum perimeter and the testicular length, the seminal characteristic, plasmatic concentration of testosterone, and the libido of the animals with different degrees of scrotum division. Animals with divided scrotum had higher weight and testicular length when compared with animals from the first group that had a higher percentage of spermatic defects. It is possible to conclude that there was a positive influence of scrotal bipartition on the biometric parameters and the sperm quality in goats

Effects of low intensity ultrasound on the germination of corn seeds (Zea mays L.) under different water availabilities

The effects of low intensity ultrasound on the performance of corn seeds (Zea mays L.), were investigated at two intensity levels, 230 and 175 mW/m². This study analysed the ultrasound effects on the germination under different water availabilities. The emergence and development of embryonic structures do react proportionally to the water availability and the treatment with ultrasound has no pronounced influency on the phenomena related to seed germination. However, a tendency of positive interference of this treatment in the seedling development in hidrie deficiency situations is detectable.Foram estudados os efeitos do ultra-som de baixa intensidade (230 e 1750 W/m²) sobre o desempenho de sementes de milho (Zea mays L.) utilizando situações variáveis quanto à disponibilidade hídrica. A emergência e o desenvolvimento de estruturas embrionárias reagem proporcionalmente à disponibilidade de água, não havendo influência marcante do tratamento com ultra-som nos fenômenos envolvidos na germinação das sementes. Contudo, são detectáveis tendências indicadoras de interferência positiva desse tratamento no desenvolvimento das plántulas em situações de deficiência hídrica

Curvas de secagem de sementes de milho utilizando o método intermitente

The objective of this work was the determination of the drying curve of corn seeds for different air temperatures during the intermittent drying process. Three lots of double hybrid AG-162 corn seeds and a D'Andrea dryer, model D-200, were utilized. Air temperatures of 70, 80 and 90°C, were used during the drying process. The following determinations were made: seed moisture content, air temperature at drying, seed temperature in drying roon and drier outled, air relative humidity and environment temperature. Considering the temperature of the drying processes at 70, 80 and 90°C and the reduction of moisture content from 16,5% to 13,0%, the following conclusions were obtained: a) corn seed drying curves in the intermittent drying process can be represented by linear functions; b) the increase of the drying speed and the reduction of total time of seed exposition to hot air can be achieved by temperature elevation of drying air.O presente trabalho teve por objetivo determinar as curvas de secagem de sementes de milho, para diferentes temperaturas do ar, durante a secagem intermitente. Foram utilizados três lotes de sementes de milho do hibrido duplo AG-162 e um secador marca D'Andréa, modelo D-200. As temperaturas do ar de secagem empregadas foram de 70, 80 e 90°C. As seguintes determinações foram realizadas: teor de água das sementes, temperatura do ar de secagem, temperaturas da massa de sementes na câmara de secagem e na saída do secador, umidade relativa do ar e temperatura do ar ambiente. Considerando temperaturas do ar de secagem de 70, 80 e 90°C e reduções do teor de água de 16,5% para 13,0%, os resultados permitem as seguintes conclusões: a) as curvas de secagem de sementes de milho, utilizando o método intermitente, podem ser representadas por funções lineares, b) o aumento da velocidade de secagem e a redução do tempo total de exposição das sementes ao ar aquecido podem ser obtidos pela elevação da temperatura do ar de secagem

Transmissibilidade do virus do mosaico comum da soja (VMCS) por intermédio das sementes de soja(Glycine max (L.) Merrill)

Diante da dispersão do vírus VMCS nas lavouras brasileiras de soja, o presente trabalho foi conduzido procurando verificar a transmissibilidade do patógeno pelas sementes portadoras do sintoma ("mancha café") característico da doença. Para tanto, material proveniente de campos contaminados foi testado quanto às porcentagens de emergência e infecção das plântulas. Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que o patógeno é transmitido por sementes, ainda que estas estejam livres de sintomas; contudo, apesar da inexistência de efeitos sobre a emergência, a elevação da freqüência de sementes com "mancha café" tende a ampliar o número de plântulas contaminadas.In view of the long-range dissemination of the virus SMV in Brazilian soybean fields, this research was conserned with the transmission of the pathogen by seeds that show seedcoat mottling. Seeds proceeding from contaminated fields were submitted to emergence tests and examination of infected seedlings. The results indicated that the pathogen is transmited through the seeds even when they do not show seedcoat mottling; although no particular effect was found on emergence percentage, the use of mottled seeds tends to increase the number of infected seelings