22,918 research outputs found
The volumetric rate of calcium-rich transients in the local universe
We present a measurement of the volumetric rate of `calcium-rich' optical
transients in the local universe, using a sample of three events from the
Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). This measurement builds on a detailed study of
the PTF transient detection efficiencies, and uses a Monte Carlo simulation of
the PTF survey. We measure the volumetric rate of calcium-rich transients to be
higher than previous estimates: events
yr Mpc. This is equivalent to 33-94% of the local volumetric type
Ia supernova rate. This calcium-rich transient rate is sufficient to reproduce
the observed calcium abundances in galaxy clusters, assuming an asymptotic
calcium yield per calcium-rich event of ~0.05. We also
study the PTF detection efficiency of these transients as a function of
position within their candidate host galaxies. We confirm as a real physical
effect previous results that suggest calcium-rich transients prefer large
physical offsets from their host galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 9 pages, 5 figure
Λ-Nucleon Charge-Symmetry-Breaking Interaction. I. Separable Potentials
The existence of a charge-symmetry-breaking (CSB) term in the lambda-nucleon (Λ−N) interaction is shown to produce an admixture of a T=1 state to the predominant isospin singlet state in ΛH3. The present analysis shows that a CSB term constructed to fit light hypernuclear and Λ−p scattering data is poorly determined (∼4%-25% of the total Λ−p singlet and ∼4%-15% of the total Λ−p triplet interaction), but is strongly correlated with the Λ-separation energy, BΛ, from ΛH3, and that isospin mixing in ΛH3 can lead to significant adjustments of the deduced Λ−N interaction strengths. The mixed-symmetry T=0 state in ΛH3 is seen to have a small effect. Data employed include Λ−p total cross sections, σ(Λp), for total c.m. energy Ec.m.MeV, published values of BΛ, and a theoretical determination by Herndon and Tang of the relative magnitudes of the Λ−N potentials responsible for the mean binding and the ground-state splitting of ΛHe4 and ΛHe4. The two hypotheses that the spin, I, of ΛHe4 is 0 and 1 are studied. Nonlocal separable, spin-dependent central interactions of the Yamaguchi form are used, and all range parameters in the Λ−N interaction are constrained to be equal. A search of fits to σ(Λp) is made with intrinsic ranges in the interval 1.5 F to 2.3 F. Self-consistent CSB potentials are found for I=0 and I=1. The deduced singlet Λ−p CSB interaction is attractive in all cases, in disagreement with predictions of the SU3 particle-mixing model of Downs
An action research approach to practice, service and legislative change
Aims: To describe the action research approach taken to engage a multidisciplinary group of health professionals and managers from five rural health services with government officers in redesigning their emergency care services and informing legislative change. Background: The diminishing size of the medical workforce across rural Victoria in Australia captured the Victorian state government’s attention when this threatened the sustainability of emergency care services in rural and remote hospitals in 2006. The government funded the collaborative practice model pilot between 2006 and 2008 to develop and test an alternative model of emergency care service in which nurses practised at a more advanced and autonomous level. Data sources: Data were sourced from a combination of interviews, focus groups and patient records. Review methods: Qualitative data were analysed using convergent interview and thematic analysis. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies and cross tabulations. Discussion: The three critical success factors owing to action research are presented. It provided a politically safe approach to service, policy and legislative change, ensured collaboration permeated the endeavour and helped to shift the focus from a technical to an emancipatory approach to action research. Conclusion: Action research was key to the success achieved by the participants in changing clinical practice, service delivery and the Victorian Drugs Poisons and Controlled Substances Act (1981) to authorise registered nurses to supply medicines. Implications for practice: This paper offers an approach that nurses in practice, management and government can take to drive changes at practice, service and legislative levels in advanced nursing practice
Weak Localization Thickness Measurements of Si:P Delta-Layers
We report on our results for the characterization of Si:P delta-layers grown
by low temperature molecular beam epitaxy. Our data shows that the effective
thickness of a delta-layer can be obtained through a weak localization analysis
of electrical transport measurements performed in perpendicular and parallel
magnetic fields. An estimate of the diffusivity of phosphorous in silicon is
obtained by applying this method to several samples annealed at 850 Celsius for
intervals of zero to 15 minutes. With further refinements, this may prove to be
the most precise method of measuring delta-layer widths developed to date,
including that of Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry analysis
The development of a classification system for maternity models of care
© The Author(s) 2016. Background: A lack of standard terminology or means to identify and define models of maternity care in Australia has prevented accurate evaluations of outcomes for mothers and babies in different models of maternity care. Objective: As part of the Commonwealth-funded National Maternity Data Development Project, a classification system was developed utilising a data set specification that defines characteristics of models of maternity care. Method: The Maternity Care Classification System or MaCCS was developed using a participatory action research design that built upon the published and grey literature. Results: The study identified the characteristics that differentiate models of care and classifies models into eleven different Major Model Categories. Conclusion: The MaCCS will enable individual health services, local health districts (networks), jurisdictional and national health authorities to make better informed decisions for planning, policy development and delivery of maternity services in Australia
The Rising Light Curves of Type Ia Supernovae
We present an analysis of the early, rising light curves of 18 Type Ia
supernovae (SNe Ia) discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) and the
La Silla-QUEST variability survey (LSQ). We fit these early data flux using a
simple power-law to determine the time of first
light , and hence the rise-time from first light to
peak luminosity, and the exponent of the power-law rise (). We find a mean
uncorrected rise time of days, with individual SN rise-times
ranging from to days. The exponent n shows significant
departures from the simple 'fireball model' of (or ) usually assumed in the literature. With a mean value of , our data also show significant diversity from event to event. This
deviation has implications for the distribution of 56Ni throughout the SN
ejecta, with a higher index suggesting a lesser degree of 56Ni mixing. The
range of n found also confirms that the 56Ni distribution is not standard
throughout the population of SNe Ia, in agreement with earlier work measuring
such abundances through spectral modelling. We also show that the duration of
the very early light curve, before the luminosity has reached half of its
maximal value, does not correlate with the light curve shape or stretch used to
standardise SNe Ia in cosmological applications. This has implications for the
cosmological fitting of SN Ia light curves.Comment: 19 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
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Integrating rich user feedback into intelligent user interfaces
The potential for machine learning systems to improve via a mutually beneficial exchange of information with users has yet to be explored in much detail. Previously, we found that users were willing to provide a generous amount of rich feedback to machine learning systems, and that the types of some of this rich feedback seem promising for assimilation by machine learning algorithms. Following up on those findings, we ran an experiment to assess the viability of incorporating real-time keyword-based feedback in initial training phases when data is limited. We found that rich feedback improved accuracy but an initial unstable period often caused large fluctuations in classifier behavior. Participants were able to give feedback by relying heavily on system communication in order to respond to changes. The results show that in order to benefit from the user’s knowledge, machine learning systems must be able to absorb keyword-based rich feedback in a graceful manner and provide clear explanations of their predictions
Kinetics of Phase Separation in Thin Films: Simulations for the Diffusive Case
We study the diffusion-driven kinetics of phase separation of a symmetric
binary mixture (AB), confined in a thin-film geometry between two parallel
walls. We consider cases where (a) both walls preferentially attract the same
component (A), and (b) one wall attracts A and the other wall attracts B (with
the same strength). We focus on the interplay of phase separation and wetting
at the walls, which is referred to as {\it surface-directed spinodal
decomposition} (SDSD). The formation of SDSD waves at the two surfaces, with
wave-vectors oriented perpendicular to them, often results in a metastable
layered state (also referred to as ``stratified morphology''). This state is
reminiscent of the situation where the thin film is still in the one-phase
region but the surfaces are completely wet, and hence coated with thick wetting
layers. This metastable state decays by spinodal fluctuations and crosses over
to an asymptotic growth regime characterized by the lateral coarsening of
pancake-like domains. These pancakes may or may not be coated by precursors of
wetting layers. We use Langevin simulations to study this crossover and the
growth kinetics in the asymptotic coarsening regime.Comment: 39 pages, 19 figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.
Minimal size of a barchan dune
Barchans are dunes of high mobility which have a crescent shape and propagate
under conditions of unidirectional wind. However, sand dunes only appear above
a critical size, which scales with the saturation distance of the sand flux [P.
Hersen, S. Douady, and B. Andreotti, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf{89,}} 264301 (2002);
B. Andreotti, P. Claudin, and S. Douady, Eur. Phys. J. B {\bf{28,}} 321 (2002);
G. Sauermann, K. Kroy, and H. J. Herrmann, Phys. Rev. E {\bf{64,}} 31305
(2001)]. It has been suggested by P. Hersen, S. Douady, and B. Andreotti, Phys.
Rev. Lett. {\bf{89,}} 264301 (2002) that this flux fetch distance is itself
constant. Indeed, this could not explain the proto size of barchan dunes, which
often occur in coastal areas of high litoral drift, and the scale of dunes on
Mars. In the present work, we show from three dimensional calculations of sand
transport that the size and the shape of the minimal barchan dune depend on the
wind friction speed and the sand flux on the area between dunes in a field. Our
results explain the common appearance of barchans a few tens of centimeter high
which are observed along coasts. Furthermore, we find that the rate at which
grains enter saltation on Mars is one order of magnitude higher than on Earth,
and is relevant to correctly obtain the minimal dune size on Mars.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure
Evaluation of positive G sub Z tolerance following simulated weightlessness (bedrest)
The magnitude of physiologic changes which are known to occur in human subjects exposed to varying levels of + G sub Z acceleration following bed rest simulation of weightlessness was studied. Bed rest effects were documented by fluid and electrolyte balance studies, maximal exercise capability, 70 deg passive tilt and lower body negative pressure tests and the ability to endure randomly prescribed acceleration profiles of +2G sub Z, +3G sub Z, and +4G sub Z. Six healthy male volunteers were studied during two weeks of bed rest after adequate control observations, followed by two weeks of recovery, followed by a second two-week period of bed rest at which time an Air Force cutaway anti-G suit was used to determine its effectiveness as a countermeasure for observed cardiovascular changes during acceleration. Results showed uniform and significant changes in all measured parameters as a consequence of bed rest including a reduced ability to tolerate +G sub Z acceleration. The use of anti-G suits significantly improved subject tolerance to all G exposures and returned measured parameters such as heart rate and blood pressure towards or to pre-bed-rest (control) values in four of the six cases
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