Analysis of a cyclotron maser instability with application to space and laboratory plasmas

When a beam of electrons moves into an increasing magnetic field, conservation of the magnetic moment results in the formation of a crescent, or horseshoe shaped velocity distribution. The resultant horseshoe shaped velocity distribution has been shown to be unstable with respect to a cyclotron-maser type instability. This instability has been postulated as the mechanism responsible for auroral kilometric radiation and also non-thermal radiation from other astrophysical bodies. In this paper the previous theory, that assumed an infinite uniform plasma, is extended to apply to a bounded cylindrical geometry. This more exact theory in bounded cylindrical geometry is also directly relevant to a laboratory experiment currently being carried out

Uncertainty in the availability of natural resources: Fossil fuels, critical metals and biomass

Energy policies are strongly influenced by resource availability and recoverability estimates. Yet these estimates are often highly uncertain, frequently incommensurable, and regularly contested. This paper explores how the uncertainties surrounding estimates of the availability of fossil fuels, biomass and critical metals are conceptualised and communicated. The contention is that a better understanding of the uncertainties surrounding resource estimates for both conventional and renewable energy resources can contribute to more effective policy decision making in the long term. Two complementary approaches for framing uncertainty are considered in detail: a descriptive typology of uncertainties and a framework that conceptualises uncertainty as alternative states of incomplete knowledge. Both have the potential to be useful analytical and communication tools. For the three resource types considered here we find that data limitations, inconsistent definitions and the use of incommensurable methodologies present a pervasive problem that impedes comparison. Many aspects of resource uncertainty are also not commonly captured in the conventional resource classification schemes. This highlights the need for considerable care when developing and comparing aggregate resource estimates and when using these to inform strategic energy policy decisions

Building Smart Space Applications with PErvasive Computing in Embedded Systems (PECES) Middleware

The increasing number of devices that are invisibly embedded into our surrounding environment as well as the proliferation of wireless communication and sensing technologies are the basis for visions like ambient intelligence, ubiquitous and pervasive computing. PErvasive Computing in Embedded Systems (PECES) project develops the technological basis to enable the global cooperation of embedded devices residing in different smart spaces in a context-dependent, secure and trustworthy manner. This paper presents PECES middleware that consists of flexible context ontology, a middleware that is capable of dynamically forming execution environments that are secure and trustworthy. This paper also presents set of tools to facilitate application development using the PECES middleware

Investigating trends in the growth of five demersal fish species from the Firth of Clyde and the wider western shelf of Scotland

Demersal fish landings from the Firth of Clyde peaked in 1973, then declined rapidly until the targeted demersal fishery ceased in 2005. The abundance of large fish decreased during this period, and their numbers have not recovered since 2005. We aim to determine whether changing growth rates have con- tributed to the decline in the abundance of large fish. Bottom trawl survey data from 1980–2012 was used to calculate the annual mean length-at-age and time series of von Bertalanffy growth parameters of five demersal species; cod, haddock, whiting, Norway pout and saithe. Two regions were considered: the Firth of Clyde and the neighbouring seas west of Scotland (the western shelf). There have been substantial decreases in the lengths of most age groups of Clyde haddock and whiting due to declines in both asymptotic length and von Bertalanffy growth rate. Lengths-at-age have also declined in western shelf populations, but at markedly slower rates than within the Clyde. Trends in temperature and year class strength tended to contribute little to changes in the growth parameters, so declines in length-at-age have been largely due to other factors. Fishing intensity is greater in the Clyde than western shelf, and the size selectivity of the fisheries differ as more Clyde vessels use Nephrops trawling gear. Since trends in growth were also more extreme in the Clyde, it appears as though size-selective fishing may have caused reductions in the lengths of these fish. If the changes in growth are partially due to fishing induced evolution then it may take many generations for the changes to reverse

Numerical simulation of unconstrained cyclotron resonant maser emission

When a mainly rectilinear electron beam is subject to significant magnetic compression, conservation of magnetic moment results in the formation of a horseshoe shaped velocity distribution. It has been shown that such a distribution is unstable to cyclotron emission and may be responsible for the generation of Auroral Kilometric Radiation (AKR) an intense rf emission sourced at high altitudes in the terrestrial auroral magnetosphere. PiC code simulations have been undertaken to investigate the dynamics of the cyclotron emission process in the absence of cavity boundaries with particular consideration of the spatial growth rate, spectral output and rf conversion efficiency. Computations reveal that a well-defined cyclotron emission process occurs albeit with a low spatial growth rate compared to waveguide bounded simulations. The rf output is near perpendicular to the electron beam with a slight backward-wave character reflected in the spectral output with a well defined peak at 2.68GHz, just below the relativistic electron cyclotron frequency. The corresponding rf conversion efficiency of 1.1% is comparable to waveguide bounded simulations and consistent with the predictions of kinetic theory that suggest efficient, spectrally well defined radiation emission can be obtained from an electron horseshoe distribution in the absence of radiation boundaries.Publisher PD

The effect of viral plasticity on the persistence of host-virus systems

Phenotypic plasticity plays an important role in the survival of individuals. In microbial host-virus systems, previous studies have shown the stabilizing effect that host plasticity has on the coexistence of the system. By contrast, it remains uncertain how the dependence of the virus on the metabolism of the host (i.e. “viral plasticity”) shapes bacteria-phage population dynamics in general, or the stability of the system in particular. Moreover, bacteria-phage models that do not consider viral plasticity are now recognised as overly simplistic. For these reasons, here we focus on the effect of viral plasticity on the stability of the system under different environmental conditions. We compared the predictions from a standard bacteria-phage model, which neglects plasticity, with those of a modification that includes viral plasticity. We investigated under which conditions viral plasticity promotes coexistence, with or without oscillatory dynamics. Our analysis shows that including viral plasticity reveals coexistence in regions of the parameter space where models without plasticity predict a collapse of the system. We also show that viral plasticity tends to reduce population oscillations, although this stabilizing effect is not consistently observed across environmental conditions: plasticity may instead reinforce dynamic feedbacks between the host, the virus, and the environment, which leads to wider oscillations. Our results contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamic control of bacteriophage on host populations observed in nature

Projected impacts of 21st century climate change on diapause in Calanus finmarchicus

Diapause plays a key role in the life cycle of high latitude zooplankton. During diapause animals avoid starving in winter by living in deep waters where metabolism is lower and met by lipid reserves. Global warming is therefore expected to shorten the maximum potential diapause duration by increasing metabolic rates and by reducing body size and lipid reserves. This will alter the phenology of zooplankton, impact higher trophic levels and disrupt biological carbon pumps. Here we project the impacts of climate change on the key North Atlantic copepod Calanus finmarchicus under IPCC RCP 8.5. Potential diapause duration is modelled in relation to body size and overwintering temperature. The projections show pronounced geographic variations. Potential diapause duration reduces by more than 30% in the Western Atlantic, whereas in the key overwintering centre of the Norwegian Sea it changes only marginally. Surface temperature rises, which reduce body size and lipid reserves, will have a similar impact to deep water changes on diapause in many regions. Because deep water warming lags that at the surface, animals in the Labrador Sea could offset warming impacts by diapausing in deeper waters. However, the ability to control diapause depth may be limited