Temperature perturbation model of the opto-galvanic effect in CO2-laser discharges

A detailed discharge model of the opto-galvanic effect in molecular laser gas mixtures is developed based on the temperature perturbation or discharge cooling mechanism of Smith and Brooks (1979). Excellent agreement between the model and experimental results in CO2 laser gas mixtures is obtained. The model should be applicable to other molecular systems where the OGE is being used for laser stabilisation and as a spectroscopic tool

Department of Botany, the University of Adelaide, South Australia, 5005,

In this paper we review the membrane transport processes that are involved in the transfer of mineral nutrients and organic carbon between the symbiotic partners in mycorrhizas. In particular, we reassess the prevailing hypothesis that transfer in vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizas occurs simultaneously and bidirectionally across the same interface and that arbuscules are the main sites of transfer. Using cytochemical techniques, we and our collaborators have reexamined the distribution of ATPases in the arbuscular and intercellular hyphal interfaces in VA mycorrhizas formed between roots ofAllium cepa (onion) and the fungus Glomus intraradices. The results showed that H +-ATPases have different localisation on plant and fungal membranes in arbuscular and hyphal interfaces (Gianinazzi-Pearson et al. 1991). While some arbuscular interfaces had H+-ATPase activity on both fungal and plant membranes, in most cases the fungal membrane lacked this activity. In contrast, the plasma membranes of intercellular hyphae always had H + -ATPase and the adjacent root cells did not. This suggests that the different interfaces in a VA mycorrhiza may have different functions. We propose that passive loss of P from the arbuscules is associated with active uptake by the energised (ATPase-bearing) plant membrane and that passive loss of carbohydrate from the root cells is followed by active uptake by the intercellular hyphae. If this model is correct, then variations in "mycorrhizal efficiency" (i.e. the extent to which mycorrhizal plants grow better than non-mycorrhizal controls) might be determined by differences in the numbers of active arbuscules as a proportion of the total fungal biomass within the root. As a first step towards investigating this possibility, we have developed methods for measuring the surface areas of arbuscular and hyphal interfaces in different fungus-host combinations, Glomus spp./ Allium porrum (leek). We have also measured fluxes of P from fungus to plant and have been able to partition these between the arbuscular and total (arbuscular plus hyphal) interfaces. The implications of this work, and suggestions for future investigations of the molecular mechanisms involved in nutrient transfer in mycorrhizas, are discussed

Wolf-Rayets in IC10: Probing the Nearest Starburst

IC10 is the nearest starburst galaxy, as revealed both by its Halpha surface brightness and the large number of Wolf-Rayet stars (WRs) per unit area. The relative number of known WC- to WN-type WRs has been thought to be unusually high (~2), unexpected for IC10's metallicity. In this Letter we report the first results of a new and deeper survey for WRs in IC10. We sucessfully detected all of the spectroscopically known WRs, and based upon comparisons with a neighboring control field, estimate that the total number of WRs in IC10 is about 100. We present spectroscopic confirmation of two of our WR candidates, both of which are of WN type. Our photometric survey predicts that the actual WC/WN ratio is ~0.3. This makes the WC/WN ratio of IC 10 consistent with that expected for its metallicity, but greatly increases the already unusually high number of WRs, resulting in a surface density that is about 20 times higher than in the LMC. If the majority of these candidates are spectroscopically confirmed, IC10 must have an exceptional population of high mass stars.Comment: Accepted by ApJL; only minor correction in this versio

Evidence of sympathetic cooling of Na+ ions by a Na MOT in a hybrid trap

A hybrid ion-neutral trap provides an ideal system to study collisional dynamics between ions and neutrals. This system provides a general cooling method that can be applied to optically inaccessible species and can also potentially cool internal degrees of freedom. The long range polarization potentials ($V\propto-\alpha/r^4$) between ions and neutrals result in large scattering cross sections at cold temperatures, making the hybrid trap a favorable system for efficient sympathetic cooling of ions by collisions with neutral atoms. We present experimental evidence of sympathetic cooling in a hybrid trap of \ce{Na+} ions, which are closed shell and therefore do not have a laser induced atomic transition, by equal mass cold Na atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT).Comment: 7 figure

Decay estimates for variable coefficient wave equations in exterior domains

In this article we consider variable coefficient, time dependent wave equations in exterior domains. We prove localized energy estimates if the domain is star-shaped and global in time Strichartz estimates if the domain is strictly convex.Comment: 15 pages. In the new version, some typos are fixed and a minor correction was made to the proof of Lemma 1

Academic Support at Leeds Metropolitan Library

Leeds Metropolitan’s Library Academic Support Stream is made up of Academic Librarians and Information Services Librarians who provide academic support to the university’s six faculties. The team use innovative methods of working together to engage students and enhance their experience. The team only formed a year ago so this is a good time to reflect on our success so far. The library service at Leeds Met is continually developing and offers new challenges and opportunities for staff providing library academic support. Innovation has even become part of our new name – ‘Libraries and Learning Innovation’. We still offer all the traditions types of library academic support, but there is an increasing emphasis on finding innovative ways of supporting students and publicising what we can offer. This year the Library Academic Support Stream won a University Attitude Character and Talents Award for Future Focus

Synthetic aperture radar images of ocean waves, theories of imaging physics and experimental tests

The physical mechanism for the synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging of ocean waves is investigated through the use of analytical models. The models are tested by comparison with data sets from the SEASAT mission and airborne SAR's. Dominant ocean wavelengths from SAR estimates are biased towards longer wavelengths. The quasispecular scattering mechanism agrees with experimental data. The Doppler shift for ship wakes is that of the mean sea surface