Efficacy of laser preionization with a semiconductor source and propene addition

It is established that propene is an effective additive instabilising uv preionised CO2 TEA laser discharges: its effect being particularly pronounced with semiconductor-edge preionised lasers where the preionisation levels are shown to be low

Xenon in Mercury-Manganese Stars

Previous studies of elemental abundances in Mercury-Manganese (HgMn) stars have occasionally reported the presence of lines of the ionized rare noble gas Xe II, especially in a few of the hottest stars with Teff ~ 13000--15000 K. A new study of this element has been undertaken using observations from Lick Observatory's Hamilton Echelle Spectrograph. In this work, the spectrum synthesis program UCLSYN has been used to undertake abundance analysis assuming LTE. We find that in the Smith & Dworetsky sample of HgMn stars, Xe is vastly over-abundant in 21 of 22 HgMn stars studied, by factors of 3.1--4.8 dex. There does not appear to be a significant correlation of Xe abundance with Teff. A comparison sample of normal late B stars shows no sign of Xe II lines that could be detected, consistent with the expected weakness of lines at normal abundance. The main reason for the previous lack of widespread detection in HgMn stars is probably due to the strongest lines being at longer wavelengths than the photographic blue. The lines used in this work were 4603.03A, 4844.33A and 5292.22A.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. Accepted by Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 8 January 200

Arresting woodland bird decline in Australian agricultural landscapes: potential application of the European agri-environment model

This paper considered the applicability of the European model of land stewardship payments, in particular its support for biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes, to an Australian context. More broadly, the research approach described in the paper may also be applied to assessing the suitability of overseas stewardship schemes to the provision of any ecoservice in Australia, such as carbon sequestration and floodwater regulation

Constraints on turbulent velocity broadening for a sample of clusters, groups and elliptical galaxies using XMM-Newton

Using the width of emission lines in XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer spectra, we place direct constraints on the turbulent velocities of the X-ray emitting medium in the cores of 62 galaxy clusters, groups and elliptical galaxies. We find five objects where we can place an upper limit on the line-of-sight broadening of 500 km/s (90 per cent confidence level), using a single thermal component model. Two other objects are lower than this limit when two thermal components are used. Half of the objects examined have an upper limit on the velocity broadening of less than 700 km/s. To look for objects which have significant turbulent broadening, we use Chandra spectral maps to compute the expected broadening caused by the spatial extent of the source. Comparing these with our observed results, we find that Klemola 44 has extra broadening at the level of 1500 km/s. RX J1347.5-1145 shows weak evidence for turbulent velocities at 800 km/s. In addition we obtain limits on turbulence for Zw3146, Abell 496, Abell 1795, Abell 2204 and HCG 62 of less than 200 km/s. After subtraction of the spatial contribution and including a 50 km/s systematic uncertainty, we find at least 15 sources with less than 20 per cent of the thermal energy density in turbulence.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figures, accepted by MNRAS. Includes minor edits to proo

Session:management of drainage near source – disconnection/minimise surface water entering public drainage

Many combined sewer networks are currently constrained due to lack of capacity. Surface water entering the network may have an impact on the local environment by causing additional spills from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) and flooding events. With the increasing number of developments taking place in Scotland, more and more demands are being placed upon the existing wastewater assets and infrastructure of the drainage utility, Scottish Water. The principal way of preventing these CSO spills/flooding event s is to reduce the number of surface water connections to the combined sewer network and promote more surface water discharges to nearby watercourses.The problem is being addressed by examining all development applications as they are considered by a drainage planning officer in the water authority. The research reported in this paper is investigating the conditions under which it is reasonable and practical for Scottish Water to accept surface water flows into its combined sewer network . This paper presents a summary of the initial findings of the research to date by examining a sample of the sites examined. The objective of the work is to develop a methodology to support a rigorous stance on the acceptance of surface water flows into the combined sewer network. The results have not as yet been obtained

The distribution of local star formation activity as a function of galaxy stellar mass, environment and morphology

This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.We present a detailed inventory of star formation in the local Universe, dissecting the cosmic star formation budget as a function of key variables that influence the star formation rate (SFR) of galaxies: stellar mass, local environment and morphology. We use a large homogeneous dataset from the SDSS to first study how the star-formation budget in galaxies with stellar masses greater than log(M/MSun) = 10 splits as a function of each parameter separately. We then explore how the budget behaves as a simultaneous function of these three parameters. We show that the bulk of the star formation at z < 0.075 (~65 per cent) takes place in spiral galaxies, that reside in the field, and have stellar masses between 10 < log(M/MSun) < 10.9. The ratio of the cosmic star formation budget hosted by galaxies in the field, groups and clusters is 21:3:1. Morphological ellipticals are minority contributors to local star formation. They make a measurable contribution to the star formation budget only at intermediate to high stellar masses, 10.3 < log(M/MSun) < 11.2 (where they begin to dominate by number), and typically in the field, where they contribute up to ~13 per cent of the total star-formation budget. This inventory of local star formation serves as a z~0 baseline which, when combined with similar work at high redshift, will enable us to understand the changes in SFR that have occurred over cosmic time and offers a strong constraint on models of galaxy formation.Peer reviewe

Suppression of spin-torque in current perpendicular to the plane spin-valves by addition of Dy cap layers

We demonstrate that the addition of Dy capping layers in current perpendicular to the plane giant magneto-resistive spin-valves can increase the critical current density beyond which spin-torque induced instabilities are observed by about a factor of three. Current densities as high as 5e7 A/cm2 are measured provided that the electron current flows from the free to the reference layer. While Dy capped samples exhibit nonmagnetic 1/f noise, it is sufficiently small to be unimportant for read head operation at practical data rates.Comment: 13 pages (manuscript form), with 5 figures. Submitted for publicatio

National evaluation of the neighbourhood nurseries: integrated report

Report description: The NNI was launched in 2001 to provide high quality childcare in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods of England, to help parents into employment, reduce child poverty and boost children’s development. By 2005 45,000 new childcare places had been created in approximately 1,400 neighbourhood nurseries. This report brings together the findings of the four individual strands of the National Evaluation of Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative as shown above and makes a number of recommendations. The report shows the rationale for the government’s strategy in targeting disadvantaged neighbourhoods and in focusing on high quality childcare to provide the link between raising parental employment and income and improving children’s life chances

A rural agricultural-sustainable energy community model and its application to Felton Valley, Australia

Energy and food security require a delicate balance which should not threaten or undermine community prosperity. Where it is proposed to derive energy from conventional fossil fuel resources (such as coal, shale oil, natural gas, coal seam gas) located in established rural areas, and particularly where these areas are used for productive agricultural purposes, there are often both intense community concern as well as broader questions regarding the relative social, economic and environmental costs and benefits of different land uses and, increasingly, different energy sources. The advent of mainstream renewable energy technologies means that alternative energy options may provide a viable alternative, allowing energy demand to be met without compromising existing land uses. We demonstrate how such a Sustainable Energy Rural Model can be designed to achieve a balance between the competing social goals of energy supply, agricultural production, environmental integrity and social well-being, and apply it to the Felton Valley, a highly productive and resilient farming community in eastern Australia. Research into available wind and solar resources found that Felton Valley has a number of attributes that indicate its suitability for the development of an integrated renewable energy precinct which would complement, rather than displace, existing agricultural enterprises. Modelling results suggest a potential combined annual renewable energy output from integrated wind and solar resources of 1,287 GWh/yr from peak installed capacity of 713 MW, sufficient to supply the electrical energy needs of about 160,000 homes, in combination with total biomass food production of 31,000 tonnes per annum or 146 GWh/yr of human food energy. The portfolio of renewable energy options will not only provide energy source diversity but also ensures long-term food security and regional stability. The Felton Valley model provides an example of community-led energy transformation and has potential as a pilot project for the development of smart distributed grids that would negate the need for further expansion of coal mining and coal fired power stations

What is the impact of psychiatric decision units on mental health crisis care pathways? Protocol for an interrupted time series analysis with a synthetic control study

Background The UK mental health system is stretched to breaking point. Individuals presenting with mental health problems wait longer at the ED than those presenting with physical concerns and finding a bed when needed is difficult – 91% of psychiatric wards are operating at above the recommended occupancy rate. To address the pressure, a new type of facility – psychiatric decision units (also known as mental health decision units) – have been introduced in some areas. These are short-stay facilities, available upon referral, targeted to help individuals who may be able to avoid an inpatient admission or lengthy ED visit. To advance knowledge about the effectiveness of this service for this purpose, we will examine the effect of the service on the mental health crisis care pathway over a 4-year time period; the 2 years proceeding and following the introduction of the service. We use aggregate service level data of key indicators of the performance of this pathway. Methods Data from four mental health Trusts in England will be analysed using an interrupted time series (ITS) design with the primary outcomes of the rate of (i) ED psychiatric presentations and (ii) voluntary admissions to mental health wards. This will be supplemented with a synthetic control study with the same primary outcomes, in which a comparable control group is generated for each outcome using a donor pool of suitable National Health Service Trusts in England. The methods are well suited to an evaluation of an intervention at a service delivery level targeting population-level health outcome and the randomisation or ‘trialability’ of the intervention is limited. The synthetic control study controls for national trends over time, increasing our confidence in the results. The study has been designed and will be carried out with the involvement of service users and carers. Discussion This will be the first formal evaluation of psychiatric decision units in England. The analysis will provide estimates of the effect of the decision units on a number of important service use indicators, providing much-needed information for those designing service pathways