North Atlantic Deep Water Formation

Various studies concerning differing aspects of the North Atlantic are presented. The three major topics under which the works are classified include: (1) oceanography; (2) paleoclimate; and (3) ocean, ice and climate modeling

Multiple-channel generalization of Lellouch-Luscher formula

We generalize the Lellouch-Luscher formula, relating weak matrix elements in finite and infinite volumes, to the case of multiple strongly-coupled decay channels into two scalar particles. This is a necessary first step on the way to a lattice QCD calculation of weak decay rates for processes such as D -> pi pi and D -> KK. We also present a field theoretic derivation of the generalization of Luscher's finite volume quantization condition to multiple two-particle channels. We give fully explicit results for the case of two channels, including a form of the generalized Lellouch-Luscher formula expressed in terms of derivatives of the energies of finite volume states with respect to the box size. Our results hold for arbitrary total momentum and for degenerate or non-degenerate particles.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures. v3: Added references, clarified relation to and corrected comments about previous work, and minor stylistic improvements. v4: Minor clarifications added, typos fixed, references updated---matches published versio

Phase diagram of vortex matter in layered superconductors with random point pinning

We study the phase diagram of the superconducting vortex system in layered high-temperature superconductors in the presence of a magnetic field perpendicular to the layers and of random atomic scale point pinning centers. We consider the highly anisotropic limit where the pancake vortices on different layer are coupled only by their electromagnetic interaction. The free energy of the vortex system is then represented as a Ramakrishnan-Yussouff free energy functional of the time averaged vortex density. We numerically minimize this functional and examine the properties of the resulting phases. We find that, in the temperature ($T$) -- pinning strength ($s$) plane at constant magnetic induction, the equilibrium phase at low $T$ and $s$ is a Bragg glass. As one increases $s$ or $T$ a first order phase transition occurs to another phase that we characterize as a pinned vortex liquid. The weakly pinned vortex liquid obtained for high $T$ and small $s$ smoothly crosses over to the strongly pinned vortex liquid as $T$ is decreased or $s$ increased -- we do not find evidence for the existence, in thermodynamic equilibrium, of a distinct vortex glass phase in the range of pinning parameters considered here. %cdr We present results for the density correlation functions, the density and defect distributions, and the local field distribution accessible via $\mu$SR experiments. These results are compared with those of existing theoretical, numerical and experimental studies.Comment: 15 pages, including figures. Higher resolution files for Figs 3a and 11 available from author

Changes in Purkinje cell firing and gene expression precede behavioral pathology in a mouse model of SCA2.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder, which is caused by a pathological expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the coding region of the ATXN2 gene. Like other ataxias, SCA2 most overtly affects Purkinje cells (PCs) in the cerebellum. Using a transgenic mouse model expressing a full-length ATXN2(Q127)-complementary DNA under control of the Pcp2 promoter (a PC-specific promoter), we examined the time course of behavioral, morphologic, biochemical and physiological changes with particular attention to PC firing in the cerebellar slice. Although motor performance began to deteriorate at 8 weeks of age, reductions in PC number were not seen until after 12 weeks. Decreases in the PC firing frequency first showed at 6 weeks and paralleled deterioration of motor performance with progression of disease. Transcription changes in several PC-specific genes such as Calb1 and Pcp2 mirrored the time course of changes in PC physiology with calbindin-28 K changes showing the first small, but significant decreases at 4 weeks. These results emphasize that in this model of SCA2, physiological and behavioral phenotypes precede morphological changes by several weeks and provide a rationale for future studies examining the effects of restoration of firing frequency on motor function and prevention of future loss of PCs

Design of Glass for High, Short Duration Wind Loads

This paper describes a case study for the design of structural glazed IGUs for theNew Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland, which is subjected to high local windloads of approximately 10kN/m2, with a load duration of approximately 0.1s. Thepaper focuses on how to interpret the current available codes and research to obtaina glass thickness with adequate resistance for the high short duration loads. Thepaper also focuses on the wind loads to be applied when calculating the fixingsystem, the structural silicone, the embedded aluminium profiles and the toggleswhich fix the glass to the aluminium mullions. For short duration wind loads, thencurrently available codes and guidelines only provide the equivalent glass stress fora 3s load duration, equivalent to a kmod = 1. The paper explains how wind load fromwind tunnel tests should be used when sizing glass, and concludes how the IGUsfor the Reykjavik New Concert Hall were sized

Transient cavities and the excess chemical potentials of hard-spheroid solutes in dipolar hard sphere solvents

Monte Carlo computer simulations are used to study transient cavities and the solvation of hard-spheroid solutes in dipolar hard sphere solvents. The probability distribution of spheroidal cavities in the solvent is shown to be well described by a Gaussian function, and the variations of fit parameters with cavity elongation and solvent properties are analyzed. The excess chemical potentials of hard-spheroid solutes with aspect ratios $x$ in the range $1/5 \leq x \leq 5$, and with volumes between one and twenty times that of a solvent molecule, are presented. It is shown that for a given molecular volume and solvent dipole moment (or temperature) a spherical solute has the lowest excess chemical potential and hence the highest solubility, while a prolate solute with aspect ratio $x$ should be more soluble than an oblate solute with aspect ratio $1/x$. For a given solute molecule, the excess chemical potential increases with increasing temperature; this same trend is observed in the case of hydrophobic solvation. To help interpret the simulation results, comparison is made with a scaled-particle theory that requires prior knowledge of a solute-solvent interfacial tension and the pure-solvent equation of state, which parameters are obtained from simulation results for spherical solutes. The theory shows excellent agreement with simulation results over the whole range of solute elongations considered.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figure

Time delay occultation data of the Helios spacecraft for probing the electron density distribution in the solar corona

S-band time delay measurements were collected from the spacecraft Helios A and B during three solar occultations in 1975/76 within heliocentric distances of about 3 and 215 earth radius in terms of range, Doppler frequency shift, and electron content. Characteristic features of measurement and data processing are described. Typical data sets are discussed to probe the electron density distribution near the sun (west and east limb as well) including the outer and extended corona. Steady-state and dynamical aspects of the solar corona are presented and compared with earth-bound-K-coronagraph measurements. Using a weighted least squares estimation, parameters of an average coronal electron density profile are derived in a preliminary analysis to yield electron densities at r = 3, 65, 215 earth radius. Transient phenomena are discussed and a velocity of propagation v is nearly equal to 900 km/s is determined for plasma ejecta from a solar flare observed during an extraordinary set of Helios B electron content measurements