14,858 research outputs found

    RHESSI and SOHO/CDS Observations of Explosive Chromospheric Evaporation

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    Simultaneous observations of explosive chromospheric evaporation are presented using data from the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and the Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer (CDS) onboard SOHO. For the first time, co-spatial imaging and spectroscopy have been used to observe explosive evaporation within a hard X-ray emitting region. RHESSI X-ray images and spectra were used to determine the flux of non-thermal electrons accelerated during the impulsive phase of an M2.2 flare. Assuming a thick-target model, the injected electron spectrum was found to have a spectral index of ~7.3, a low energy cut-off of ~20 keV, and a resulting flux of >4x10^10 ergs cm^-2 s^-1. The dynamic response of the atmosphere was determined using CDS spectra, finding a mean upflow velocity of 230+/-38 km s^-1 in Fe XIX (592.23A), and associated downflows of 36+/-16 km s^-1 and 43+/-22 km s^-1 at chromospheric and transition region temperatures, respectively, relative to an averaged quiet-Sun spectra. The errors represent a 1 sigma dispersion. The properties of the accelerated electron spectrum and the corresponding evaporative velocities were found to be consistent with the predictions of theory.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, ApJL (In Press

    High-order Discretization of a Gyrokinetic Vlasov Model in Edge Plasma Geometry

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    We present a high-order spatial discretization of a continuum gyrokinetic Vlasov model in axisymmetric tokamak edge plasma geometries. Such models describe the phase space advection of plasma species distribution functions in the absence of collisions. The gyrokinetic model is posed in a four-dimensional phase space, upon which a grid is imposed when discretized. To mitigate the computational cost associated with high-dimensional grids, we employ a high-order discretization to reduce the grid size needed to achieve a given level of accuracy relative to lower-order methods. Strong anisotropy induced by the magnetic field motivates the use of mapped coordinate grids aligned with magnetic flux surfaces. The natural partitioning of the edge geometry by the separatrix between the closed and open field line regions leads to the consideration of multiple mapped blocks, in what is known as a mapped multiblock (MMB) approach. We describe the specialization of a more general formalism that we have developed for the construction of high-order, finite-volume discretizations on MMB grids, yielding the accurate evaluation of the gyrokinetic Vlasov operator, the metric factors resulting from the MMB coordinate mappings, and the interaction of blocks at adjacent boundaries. Our conservative formulation of the gyrokinetic Vlasov model incorporates the fact that the phase space velocity has zero divergence, which must be preserved discretely to avoid truncation error accumulation. We describe an approach for the discrete evaluation of the gyrokinetic phase space velocity that preserves the divergence-free property to machine precision

    Overexpression of hIGF-1 exclusively in skeletal muscle increases the number of dihydropyridine receptors in adult transgenic mice

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    AbstractThe number of dihydropyridine receptors (DHPR) and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release channels (RyR1) and their interaction determine the efficacy of the sarcolemmal excitation-SR Ca2+ release-contraction coupling (ECC). Both receptors play a central role in ECC as demonstrated in various animal species and muscle subtypes. In the present work we studied the effect of transgenic overexpression of human insulin-like growth factor 1 (hIGF-1) on the levels of these two Ca2+ channels in extensor digitorum longus (EDL) (fast-twitch), soleus (slow-twitch) and pool of fast- and slow-twitch muscles from adult C57BL/6 mice. Muscles from hIGF-1 transgenic mice showed a significant increase in IGF-1 concentration (20–30-fold) and in the number of DHPR (52% increase) whereas no significant change in RyR1 binding sites was detected. The differential effect on DHPR and RyR1 resulted in a 30% increase in DHPR/RyR1 ratio. Fast- and slow-twitch muscles showed 50 and 70% increase in the number of DHPR and 30 and 80% increase in DHPR/RyR1, respectively. These results support the concept that the increased autocrine/paracrine secretion of hIGF-1 exerts potent stimulatory effects on DHPR α1 subunit expression in adult skeletal muscle

    Exploring the views of students on the use of Facebook in university teaching and learning

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    Facebook use among students is almost ubiquitous; however, its use for formal academic purposes remains contested. Through an online survey monitoring student use of module Facebook pages and focus groups, this study explores students’ current academic uses of Facebook and their views on using Facebook within university modules. Students reported using Facebook for academic purposes, notably peer–peer communication around group work and assessment – a use not always conceptualised by students as learning. Focus groups revealed that students are not ready or equipped for the collaborative style of learning envisaged by the tutor and see Facebook as their personal domain, within which they will discuss academic topics where they see a strong relevance and purpose, notably in connection with assessment. Students use Facebook for their own mutually defined purposes and a change in student mind- and skill-sets is required to appropriate the collaborative learning benefits of Facebook in formal educational contexts

    Diffractive triangulation of radiative point sources

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    We describe a general method to determine the location of a point source of waves relative to a twodimensional single-crystalline active pixel detector. Based on the inherent structural sensitivity of crystalline sensor materials, characteristic detector diffraction patterns can be used to triangulate the location of a wave emitter. The principle described here can be applied to various types of waves, provided that the detector elements are suitably structured. As a prototypical practical application of the general detection principle, a digital hybrid pixel detector is used to localize a source of electrons for Kikuchi diffraction pattern measurements in the scanning electron microscope. This approach provides a promising alternative method to calibrate Kikuchi patterns for accurate measurements of microstructural crystal orientations, strains, and phase distributions

    A Theorem on the origin of Phase Transitions

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    For physical systems described by smooth, finite-range and confining microscopic interaction potentials V with continuously varying coordinates, we announce and outline the proof of a theorem that establishes that unless the equipotential hypersurfaces of configuration space \Sigma_v ={(q_1,...,q_N)\in R^N | V(q_1,...,q_N) = v}, v \in R, change topology at some v_c in a given interval [v_0, v_1] of values v of V, the Helmoltz free energy must be at least twice differentiable in the corresponding interval of inverse temperature (\beta(v_0), \beta(v_1)) also in the N -> \inftylimit.Thustheoccurrenceofaphasetransitionatsomeβc=β(vc)isnecessarilytheconsequenceofthelossofdiffeomorphicityamongtheΣvv<vc limit. Thus the occurrence of a phase transition at some \beta_c =\beta(v_c) is necessarily the consequence of the loss of diffeomorphicity among the {\Sigma_v}_{v < v_c} and the {\Sigma_v}_{v > v_c}, which is the consequence of the existence of critical points of V on \Sigma_{v=v_c}, that is points where \nabla V=0.Comment: 10 pages, Statistical Mechanics, Phase Transitions, General Theory. Phys. Rev. Lett., in pres
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