Generalized hidden symmetries and the Kerr-Sen black hole

We elaborate on basic properties of generalized Killing-Yano tensors which naturally extend Killing-Yano symmetry in the presence of skew-symmetric torsion. In particular, we discuss their relationship to Killing tensors and the separability of various field equations. We further demonstrate that the Kerr-Sen black hole spacetime of heterotic string theory, as well as its generalization to all dimensions, possesses a generalized closed conformal Killing-Yano 2-form with respect to a torsion identified with the 3-form occuring naturally in the theory. Such a 2-form is responsible for complete integrability of geodesic motion as well as for separability of the scalar and Dirac equations in these spacetimes.Comment: 33 pages, no figure

Evolution of field early-type galaxies: The view from GOODS CDFS

We explore the evolution of field early-type galaxies in a sample extracted from the ACS images of the southern GOODS field. The galaxies are selected by means of a nonparametric analysis, followed by visual inspection of the candidates with a concentrated surface brightness distribution. We furthermore exclude from the final sample those galaxies that are not consistent with an evolution into the Kormendy relation between surface brightness and size that is observed for z = 0 ellipticals. The final set, which comprises 249 galaxies with a median redshift z(m) = 0.71, represents a sample of early-type systems not selected with respect to color, with similar scaling relations as those of bona fide elliptical galaxies. The distribution of number counts versus apparent magnitude rejects a constant number density with cosmic time and suggests a substantial decrease with redshift: n proportional to (1 + z)(-2.5). The majority of the galaxies (78%) feature passively evolving old stellar populations. One-third of those in the upper half of the redshift distribution have blue colors, in contrast to only 10% in the lower redshift subsample. An adaptive binning of the color maps using an optimal Voronoi tessellation is performed to explore the internal color distribution. We find that the red and blue early-type galaxies in our sample have distinct behavior with respect to the color gradients, so that most blue galaxies feature blue cores whereas most of the red early-types are passively evolving stellar populations with red cores, i.e., similar systems to local early-type galaxies. Furthermore, the color gradients and scatter do not evolve with redshift and are compatible with the observations at z 0, assuming a radial dependence of the metallicity within each galaxy. Significant gradients in the stellar age are readily ruled out. This work emphasizes the need for a careful sample selection, as we found that most of those galaxies that were visually classified as candidate early types-but then rejected based on the Kormendy relation-feature blue colors characteristic of recent star formation

Background independent action for double field theory

Double field theory describes a massless subsector of closed string theory with both momentum and winding excitations. The gauge algebra is governed by the Courant bracket in certain subsectors of this double field theory. We construct the associated nonlinear background-independent action that is T-duality invariant and realizes the Courant gauge algebra. The action is the sum of a standard action for gravity, antisymmetric tensor, and dilaton fields written with ordinary derivatives, a similar action for dual fields with dual derivatives, and a mixed term that is needed for gauge invariance.Comment: 45 pages, v2: minor corrections, refs. added, to appear in JHE

Auto-tail dependence coefficients for stationary solutions of linear stochastic recurrence equations and for GARCH(1,1)

We examine the auto-dependence structure of strictly stationary solutions of linear stochastic recurrence equations and of strictly stationary GARCH(1, 1) processes from the point of view of ordinary and generalized tail dependence coefficients. Since such processes can easily be of infinite variance, a substitute for the usual auto-correlation function is needed

Developing strategies for mainstreaming sustainability

The objective of this project was to progress the process of mainstreaming sustainable residential development. For the purpose of this report, mainstreaming is defined as the increased acceptance and adoption of sustainable design strategies and technologies by the majority of the building industry and its consumers, the broader community. To achieve this objective the report aims to identify and verify where possible the barriers to mainstreaming sustainable residential development and to recommend solutions to overcome such barriers. The project focussed on three areas Greenfield residential development rather than urban renewal. Institutional constraints (process, people, regulatory etc) more than socio-cultural (education, perception, etc) or technological. The four service areas of Water, Waste and Materials, Transport, and Social sustainability. Interviews of a broad and representative cross section of the development community were combined with other research and related work. This research and consultation was then built on and tested at a workshop involving a similarly representative group. In this report there are four levels of detail related to the key project findings Constraint categories and sub-categories (Shown in Figure 1). For each category, priority constraints, key findings and recommendations (Shown overleaf and in the relevant report section). For each category, all identified and verified constraints (Shown in the summary matrices in the relevant report section). For each identified and verified constraint, contextual detail including ideas for solutions, examples of where the constraints have been overcome and remaining questions surrounding each constraint (Shown in Appendix A). Four major categories of constraint emerged from the interviews and initial research along with associated subcategories

Explicit approximate controllability of the Schr\"odinger equation with a polarizability term

We consider a controlled Schr\"odinger equation with a dipolar and a polarizability term, used when the dipolar approximation is not valid. The control is the amplitude of the external electric field, it acts non linearly on the state. We extend in this infinite dimensional framework previous techniques used by Coron, Grigoriu, Lefter and Turinici for stabilization in finite dimension. We consider a highly oscillating control and prove the semi-global weak $H^2$ stabilization of the averaged system using a Lyapunov function introduced by Nersesyan. Then it is proved that the solutions of the Schr\"odinger equation and of the averaged equation stay close on every finite time horizon provided that the control is oscillating enough. Combining these two results, we get approximate controllability to the ground state for the polarizability system

Effects of brine chemistry and polymorphism on clumped isotopes revealed by laboratory precipitation of mono- and multiphase calcium carbonates

AbstractCarbonate clumped isotopes are applied to an increasing number of geological archives to address a wide range of Earth science questions. However, the effect of changes in salinity on the carbonate clumped isotope technique has not been investigated experimentally yet. In particular, evaporated sea water and diagenetic fluids differ substantially from solutions used to calibrate the clumped isotope thermometer as they exhibit high ionic concentrations of e.g., Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Cl−. High ionic concentrations are known to have an impact on δ18O values, and could potentially impact the successful application of clumped isotopes to the reconstruction of diagenetic processes, including precipitation temperatures and the origin of the diagenetic fluid.In order to address the potential influence of salt ions on the clumped isotope Δ47 value we precipitated CaCO3 minerals (calcite, aragonite and vaterite), hydromagnesite and mixtures of these minerals in the laboratory from solutions containing different salt ions (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−) at various concentrations and temperatures. The precipitation of some mineralogies was restricted to solutions with specific ionic concentrations, limiting direct comparability. NaCl-rich solutions mostly led to vaterite formation. In control experiments CaCO3 minerals (calcite and aragonite) were precipitated from a CaCO3 supersaturated solution without addition of any other ions.Our results show that calcium carbonates precipitated from high NaCl concentrations yield Δ47 values identical to our NaCl-free control solution. Although addition of Mg led to the formation of hydromagnesite, it also follows the same Δ47-T calibration as calcite. In contrast, Δ47 values increase together with increased CaCl2 concentrations, and deviate by a few 0.01‰ from expected equilibrium values.Overall, clumped isotope values of CaCO3 minerals precipitated between 23°C and 91°C (with and without NaCl addition) follow a line with a slope close to results from statistical thermodynamics. We conclude for calcium carbonate and hydromagnesite that the combined effect of salt ion concentration, acid fractionation and polymorphism is negligible for Cl− and Na+ with respect to clumped isotope geochemistry, but that offsets are possible in brines containing high concentrations of CaCl2

Observation-based assessment of stratospheric fractional release, lifetimes, and ozone depletion potentials of ten important source gases

Estimates of the recovery time of stratospheric ozone heavily rely on the exact knowledge of the processes that lead to the decomposition of the relevant halogenated source gases. Crucial parameters in this context are fractional release factors (FRFs) as well as stratospheric lifetimes and ozone depletion potentials (ODPs). We here present data from the analysis of air samples collected between 2009 and 2011 on board research aircraft flying in the mid- and high-latitude stratosphere and infer the above-mentioned parameters for ten major source gases: CFCl3 (CFC-11), CF2Cl2 (CFC-12), CF2ClCFCl2 (CFC-113), CCl4 (carbon tetrachloride), CH3CCl3 (methyl chloroform), CHF2Cl (HCFC-22), CH3CFCl2 (HCFC-141b), CH3CF2Cl (HCFC-142b), CF2ClBr (H-1211), and CF3Br (H-1301). The inferred correlations of their FRFs with mean ages of air reveal less decomposition as compared to previous studies for most compounds. When using the calculated set of FRFs to infer equivalent stratospheric chlorine, we find a reduction of more than 20% as compared to the values inferred in the most recent Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO, 2011). We also note that FRFs and their correlations with mean age are not generally time-independent as often assumed. The stratospheric lifetimes were calculated relative to that of CFC-11. Within our uncertainties the ratios between stratospheric lifetimes inferred here agree with the values in recent WMO reports except for CFC-11, CFC-12 and CH3CCl3. Finally, we calculate lower ODPs than recommended by WMO for six out of ten compounds, with changes most pronounced for the three HCFCs. Collectively these newly calculated values may have important implications for the severity and recovery time of stratospheric ozone loss

Experimental techniques for ductile damage characterisation

Ductile damage in metallic materials is caused by the nucleation, growth and coalesce of voids and micro-cracks in the metal matrix when it is subjected to plastic strain. A considerable number of models have been proposed to represent ductile failure focusing on the ultimate failure conditions; however, only some of them study in detail the whole damage accumulation process. The aim of this work is to review experimental techniques developed by various authors to measure the accumulation of ductile damage under tensile loads. The measurement methods reviewed include: stiffness degradation, indentation, microstructure analysis, ultrasonic waves propagation, X-ray tomography and electrical potential drop. Stiffness degradation and indentation techniques have been tested on stainless steel 304L hourglass-shaped samples. A special interest is placed in the Continuum Damage Mechanics approach (CDM) as its equations incorporate macroscopic parameters that can represent directly the damage accumulation measured in the experiments. The other main objective lies in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each technique for the assessment of materials subjected to different strain-rate and temperature conditions

Pneumonia Caused by Klebsiella spp. in 46 Horses.

BackgroundKlebsiella spp. are implicated as a common cause of bacterial pneumonia in horses, but few reports describe clinical presentation and disease progression.Hypothesis/objectivesTo describe the signalment, clinicopathologic data, radiographic and ultrasonographic findings, antimicrobial susceptibility, outcome, and pathologic lesions associated with Klebsiella spp. pneumonia in horses.AnimalsForty-six horses from which Klebsiella spp. was isolated from the lower respiratory tract.MethodsRetrospective study. Medical records from 1993 to 2013 at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California, Davis were reviewed. Exact logistic regression was performed to determine if any variables were associated with survival to hospital discharge.ResultsSurvival in horses <1 year old was 73%. Overall survival in adults was 63%. For adults in which Klebsiella pneumoniae was the primary isolate, survival was 52%. Mechanical ventilation preceded development of pneumonia in 11 horses. Complications occurred in 25/46 horses, with thrombophlebitis and laminitis occurring most frequently. Multi-drug resistance was found in 47% of bacterial isolates. Variables that significantly impacted survival included hemorrhagic nasal discharge, laminitis, and thoracic radiographs with a sharp demarcation between marked caudal pulmonary alveolar infiltration and more normal-appearing caudodorsal lung.Conclusions and clinical importanceKlebsiella spp. should be considered as a differential diagnosis for horses presenting with hemorrhagic pneumonia and for horses developing pneumonia after mechanical ventilation. Multi-drug resistance is common. Prognosis for survival generally is fair, but is guarded for adult horses in which K. pneumoniae is isolated as the primary organism