351 research outputs found
The thermal conditions of Venus
Models of Venus' thermal evolution are examined. The following subject areas are covered: (1) modified approximation of parameterized convection; (2) description of the model; (3) numerical results and asymptotic solution of the MAPC equations; (4) magnetism and the thermal regime of the cores of Earth and Venus; and (5) the thermal regime of the Venusian crust
Anomalies of Density, Stresses, and the Gravitational Field in the Interior of Mars
We determined the possible compensation depths for relief harmonics of
different degrees and orders. The relief is shown to be completely compensated
within the depth range of 0 to 1400 km. The lateral distributions of
compensation masses are determined at these depths and the maps are
constructed. The possible nonisostatic vertical stresses in the crust and
mantle of Mars are estimated to be 64 MPa in compression and 20 MPa in tension.
The relief anomalies of the Tharsis volcanic plateau and symmetric feature in
the eastern hemisphere could have arisen and been maintained dynamically due to
two plumes in the mantle substance that are enriched with fluids. The plumes
that originate at the core of Mars can arise and be maintained by the anomalies
of the inner gravitational field achieving +800 mGal in the region of plume
formation, - 1200 mGal above the lower mantle-core transition layer, and -1400
mGal at the crust.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
Quasi-two-dimensional electron system at the interface between antiferromagnet LaMnO3 and ferroelectric Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3
The reported study was funded by Russian Scientific Foundation according to the research project No. 18-12-00260
First principles molecular dynamics study of filled ice hydrogen hydrate
We investigated structural changes, phase diagram, and vibrational properties
of hydrogen hydrate in filled-ice phase C2 by using first principles molecular
dynamics simulation. It was found that the experimentally reported 'cubic'
structure is unstable at low temperature and/or high pressure. The 'cubic'
structure reflects the symmetry at high (room) temperature where the hydrogen
bond network is disordered and the hydrogen molecules are orientationally
disordered due to thermal rotation. In this sense, the 'cubic' symmetry would
definitely be lowered at low temperature where the hydrogen bond network and
the hydrogen molecules are expected to be ordered. At room temperature and
below 30 GPa, it is the thermal effects that play an essential role in
stabilizing the structure in 'cubic' symmetry. Above 60 GPa, the hydrogen bonds
in the framework would be symmetrized and the hydrogen bond order-disorder
transition would disappear. These results also suggest the phase behavior of
other filled-ice hydrates. In the case of rare gas hydrate, there would be no
guest molecues rotation-nonrotation transition since the guest molecules keep
their spherical symmetry at any temperature. On the contrary methane hydrate
MH-III would show complex transitions due to the lower symmetry of the guest
molecule. These results would encourage further experimental studies,
especially NMR spectroscopy and neutron scattering, on the phases of filled-ice
hydrates at high pressures and/or low temperatures.Comment: typos correcte
Exact analytical solution of the problem of current-carrying states of the Josephson junction in external magnetic fields
The classical problem of the Josephson junction of arbitrary length W in the
presence of externally applied magnetic fields (H) and transport currents (J)
is reconsidered from the point of view of stability theory. In particular, we
derive the complete infinite set of exact analytical solutions for the phase
difference that describe the current-carrying states of the junction with
arbitrary W and an arbitrary mode of the injection of J. These solutions are
parameterized by two natural parameters: the constants of integration. The
boundaries of their stability regions in the parametric plane are determined by
a corresponding infinite set of exact functional equations. Being mapped to the
physical plane (H,J), these boundaries yield the dependence of the critical
transport current Jc on H. Contrary to a wide-spread belief, the exact
analytical dependence Jc=Jc(H) proves to be multivalued even for arbitrarily
small W. What is more, the exact solution reveals the existence of unquantized
Josephson vortices carrying fractional flux and located near one of the
junction edges, provided that J is sufficiently close to Jc for certain finite
values of H. This conclusion (as well as other exact analytical results) is
illustrated by a graphical analysis of typical cases.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
The formation of Uranus and Neptune among Jupiter and Saturn
The outer giant planets, Uranus and Neptune, pose a challenge to theories of
planet formation. They exist in a region of the Solar System where long
dynamical timescales and a low primordial density of material would have
conspired to make the formation of such large bodies ( 15 and 17 times as
massive as the Earth, respectively) very difficult. Previously, we proposed a
model which addresses this problem: Instead of forming in the trans-Saturnian
region, Uranus and Neptune underwent most of their growth among proto-Jupiter
and -Saturn, were scattered outward when Jupiter acquired its massive gas
envelope, and subsequently evolved toward their present orbits. We present the
results of additional numerical simulations, which further demonstrate that the
model readily produces analogues to our Solar System for a wide range of
initial conditions. We also find that this mechanism may partly account for the
high orbital inclinations observed in the Kuiper belt.Comment: Submitted to AJ; 38 pages, 16 figure
Characterization of demethylating DNA glycosylase ROS1 from Nicotiana tabacum L.
One of the main mechanisms of epigenetic regulation in higher eukaryotes is based on the methylation of cytosine at the C5 position with the formation of 5-methylcytosine (mC), which is further recognized by regulatory proteins. In mammals, methylation mainly occurs in CG dinucleotides, while in plants it targets CG, CHG, and CHH sequences (H is any base but G). Correct maintenance of the DNA methylation status is based on the balance of methylation, passive demethylation, and active demethylation. While in mammals active demethylation is based on targeted regulated damage to mC in DNA followed by the action of repair enzymes, demethylation in plants is performed by specialized DNA glycosylases that hydrolyze the N-glycosidic bond of mC nucleotides. The genome of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana encodes four paralogous proteins, two of which, DEMETER (DME) and REPRESSOR OF SILENCING 1 (ROS1), possess 5-methylcytosine-DNA glycosylase activity and are necessary for the regulation of development, response to infections and abiotic stress and silencing of transgenes and mobile elements. Homologues of DME and ROS1 are present in all plant groups; however, outside A. thaliana, they are poorly studied. Here we report the properties of a recombinant fragment of the ROS1 protein from Nicotiana tabacum (NtROS1), which contains all main structural domains required for catalytic activity. Using homologous modeling, we have constructed a structural model of NtROS1, which revealed folding characteristic of DNA glycosylases of the helix– hairpin–helix structural superfamily. The recombinant NtROS1 protein was able to remove mC bases from DNA, and the enzyme activity was barely affected by the methylation status of CG dinucleotides in the opposite strand. The enzyme removed 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC) from DNA with a lower efficiency, showing minimal activity in the presence of mC in the opposite strand. Expression of the NtROS1 gene in cultured human cells resulted in a global decrease in the level of genomic DNA methylation. In general, it can be said that the NtROS1 protein and other homologues of DME and ROS1 represent a promising scaffold for engineering enzymes to analyze the status of epigenetic methylation and to control gene activity
Semiclassical approach to the decay of protons in circular motion under the influence of gravitational fields
We investigate the possible decay of protons in geodesic circular motion
around neutral compact objects. Weak and strong decay rates and the associated
emitted powers are calculated using a semi-classical approach. Our results are
discussed with respect to distinct ones in the literature, which consider the
decay of accelerated protons in electromagnetic fields. A number of consistency
checks are presented along the paper.Comment: To appear in Physical Review
Tidal Response of Mars Constrained From Laboratory-Based Viscoelastic Dissipation Models and Geophysical Data
We employ laboratory-based grain-size- and temperature-sensitive rheological models to
16 describe the viscoelastic behavior of terrestrial bodies with focus on Mars. Shear modulus
17 reduction and attenuation related to viscoelastic relaxation occur as a result of diffusion-
18 and dislocation-related creep and grain-boundary processes. We consider five rheological
19 models, including extended Burgers, Andrade, Sundberg-Cooper, a power-law approxima-
20 tion, and Maxwell, and determine Martian tidal response. However, the question of which
21 model provides the most appropriate description of dissipation in planetary bodies, re-
22 mains an open issue. To examine this, crust and mantle models (density and elasticity) are
23 computed self-consistently through phase equilibrium calculations as a function of pres-
24 sure, temperature, and bulk composition, whereas core properties are based on an Fe-FeS
25 parameterisation. We assess the compatibility of the viscoelastic models by inverting the
26 available geophysical data for Mars (tidal response and mean density and moment of in-
27 ertia) for temperature, elastic, and attenuation structure. Our results show that although
28 all viscoelastic models are consistent with data, their predictions for the tidal response at
29 other periods and harmonic degrees are distinct. The results also show that Maxwell is
30 only capable of fitting data for unrealistically low viscosities. Our approach can be used
31 quantitatively to distinguish between the viscoelastic models from seismic and/or tidal ob-
32 servations that will allow for improved constraints on interior structure (e.g., with InSight).
33 Finally, the methodology presented here is generally formulated and applicable to other so-
34 lar and extra-solar system bodies where the study of tidal dissipation presents an important
35 means for determining interior structure
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