Disc-protoplanet interaction Influence of circumprimary radiative discs on self-gravitating protoplanetary bodies in binary star systems

Context. More than 60 planets have been discovered so far in systems that harbour two stars, some of which have binary semi-major axes as small as 20 au. It is well known that the formation of planets in such systems is strongly influenced by the stellar components, since the protoplanetary disc and the particles within are exposed to the gravitational influence of the binary. However, the question on how self-gravitating protoplanetary bodies affect the evolution of a radiative, circumprimary disc is still open. Aims. We present our 2D hydrodynamical GPU-CPU code and study the interaction of several thousands of self-gravitating particles with a viscous and radiative circumprimary disc within a binary star system. To our knowledge this program is the only one at the moment that is capable to handle this many particles and to calculate their influence on each other and on the disc. Methods. We performed hydrodynamical simulations of a circumstellar disc assuming the binary system to be coplanar. Our gridbased staggered mesh code relies on ideas from ZEUS-2D, where we implemented the FARGO algorithm and an additional energy equation for the radiative cooling according to opacity tables. To treat particle motion we used a parallelised version of the precise Bulirsch - Stoer algorithm. Four models in total where computed taking into account (i) only N-body interaction, (ii) N-body and disc interaction, (iii) the influence of computational parameters (especially smoothing) on N-body interaction, and (iv) the influence of a quiet low-eccentricity disc while running model (ii). The impact velocities where measured at two different time intervals and were compared. Results. We show that the combination of disc- and N-body self-gravity can have a significant influence on the orbit evolution of roughly Moon sized protoplanets

More Migrants with Nowhere to Go?

In More Migrants with Nowhere to Go?” Mary Theis reframes the stories of the Tai Dam and discusses this group of people, who migrated from Vietnam and Laos to Thailand and then to Iowa in 1975 after the wars in Southeast Asia when they virtually had nowhere to go. It is based on interviews with some of the 1,200 Tai Dam who were invited by Governor Robert Ray to resettle in Des Moines, Iowa, and nearby cities. The stories are contextualized by research on U.S. policies on immigration and the current precarious fates of other migrants in the United States to reflect not only upon just how many in the United States appear to be retreating from its raison d’être but also upon potential reactions to the inevitable and not-so-distant demographic consequences of climate change

Shut-In? Impact of Chronic Conditions on Community Participation Restriction among Older Adults

Community participation may be especially important for older adults, who are often at risk for unwanted declines in participation. We estimated the prevalence of community participation restriction (PR) due to perceived environmental barriers among older adults (≥50 years) and compared the impact among those with selected chronic conditions. Individuals with low-prevalence conditions reported high community PR (9.1–20.4%), while those with highly prevalent conditions (e.g., arthritis) had relatively low community PR (5.1–10.0%) but represented the greatest absolute numbers of condition-associated burden (>1 million). Across all conditions, more than half of those with community PR reported being restricted “always or often.” Community PR most often resulted from modifiable environmental barriers. Promising targets to reduce community PR among adults ≥50 years with chronic conditions, particularly arthritis, include building design, sidewalks/curbs, crowd control, and interventions that improve the built environment

Atom-molecule dark states in a Bose-Einstein condensate

We have created a dark quantum superposition state of a Rb Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) and a degenerate gas of Rb$_2$ ground state molecules in a specific ro-vibrational state using two-color photoassociation. As a signature for the decoupling of this coherent atom-molecule gas from the light field we observe a striking suppression of photoassociation loss. In our experiment the maximal molecule population in the dark state is limited to about 100 Rb$_2$ molecules due to laser induced decay. The experimental findings can be well described by a simple three mode model.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

The Star Clusters in the Irregular Galaxy NGC 4449

We examine the star clusters in the irregular galaxy NGC 4449. We use a near-infrared spectrum and broad-band images taken with the HST to place a limit of 8--15 Myrs on the age of the bright central ojbect in NGC 4449. Its luminosity and size suggest that it is comparable to young super star clusters. However, there is a peculiar nucleated-bar structure at the center of this star cluster, and we suggest that this structure is debris from the interaction that has produced the counter-rotating gas systems and extended gas streamers in the galaxy. From the images we identify 60 other candidate compact star clusters in NGC 4449. Fourteen of these could be background elliptical galaxies or old globular star clusters. Of the star clusters, three, in addition to the central object, are potentially super star clusters, and many others are comparable to the populous clusters found in the LMC. The star clusters span a large range in ages with no obvious peak in cluster formation that might be attributed to the interaction that the galaxy has experienced.Comment: To be published in PASP, Feb. 2001; also attainable from ftp.lowell.edu, cd pub/dah/n4449pape

The occipital lateral plate mesoderm is a novel source for vertebrate neck musculature

In vertebrates, body musculature originates from somites, whereas head muscles originate from the cranial mesoderm. Neck muscles are located in the transition between these regions. We show that the chick occipital lateral plate mesoderm has myogenic capacity and gives rise to large muscles located in the neck and thorax. We present molecular and genetic evidence to show that these muscles not only have a unique origin, but additionally display a distinct temporal development, forming later than any other muscle group described to date. We further report that these muscles, found in the body of the animal, develop like head musculature rather than deploying the programme used by the trunk muscles. Using mouse genetics we reveal that these muscles are formed in trunk muscle mutants but are absent in head muscle mutants. In concordance with this conclusion, their connective tissue is neural crest in origin. Finally, we provide evidence that the mechanism by which these neck muscles develop is conserved in vertebrates