1,071 research outputs found
Analytical Tendex and Vortex Fields for Perturbative Black Hole Initial Data
Tendex and vortex fields, defined by the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the
electric and magnetic parts of the Weyl curvature tensor, form the basis of a
recently developed approach to visualizing spacetime curvature. In particular,
this method has been proposed as a tool for interpreting results from numerical
binary black hole simulations, providing a deeper insight into the physical
processes governing the merger of black holes and the emission of gravitational
radiation. Here we apply this approach to approximate but analytical initial
data for both single boosted and binary black holes. These perturbative data
become exact in the limit of small boost or large binary separation. We hope
that these calculations will provide additional insight into the properties of
tendex and vortex fields, and will form a useful test for future numerical
calculations.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, submitted to PR
Phosphorus limited growth of the tropical seagrass Syringodium filiforme in carbonate sediments
Seasonal Relationships Between Foliar Moisture Content, Heat Content and Biochemistry of Lodgepole Pine and Big Sagebrush Foliage
Phycomyces
This monographic review on a fungus is not addressed to mycologists. None of the authors has been trained or has otherwise acquired a general proficiency in mycology. They are motivated by a common interest in the performances of signal handling exhibited by the sense organs of all organisms and by the desire to attack these as yet totally obscure aspects of molecular biology by the study of a microorganism with certain desirable properties.
The sporangiophore of the fungus Phycomyces is a gigantic, single-celled, erect, cylindrical, aerial hypha. It is sensitive to at least four distinct stimuli: light, gravity, stretch, and some unknown stimulus by which it avoids solid objects. These stimuli control a common output, the growth rate, producing either temporal changes in growth rate or tropic responses.
We are interested in the output because it gives us information about the reception of the various signals. In the absence of external stimuli, the growth rate is controlled by internal signals keeping the network of biochemical processes in balance. The external stimuli interact with the internal signals. We wish to inquire into the early steps of this interaction. For light, for instance, the cell must have a receptor pigment as the first
mediator. What kind of a molecule is this pigment? Which organelle contains it? What chemical reaction happens after a light quantum has been absorbed? And how is the information introduced by this primary photochemical event amplified in a controlled manner and processed in the next step? How do a few quanta or a few molecules trigger macroscopic responses? Will we find ourselves confronted with devices wholly distinct from anything now known in biology
Triggered Star Formation by Massive Stars
We present our diagnosis of the role that massive stars play in the formation
of low- and intermediate-mass stars in OB associations (the Lambda Ori region,
Ori OB1, and Lac OB1 associations). We find that the classical T Tauri stars
and Herbig Ae/Be stars tend to line up between luminous O stars and
bright-rimmed or comet-shaped clouds; the closer to a cloud the progressively
younger they are. Our positional and chronological study lends support to the
validity of the radiation-driven implosion mechanism, where the Lyman continuum
photons from a luminous O star create expanding ionization fronts to evaporate
and compress nearby clouds into bright-rimmed or comet-shaped clouds. Implosive
pressure then causes dense clumps to collapse, prompting the formation of
low-mass stars on the cloud surface (i.e., the bright rim) and
intermediate-mass stars somewhat deeper in the cloud. These stars are a
signpost of current star formation; no young stars are seen leading the
ionization fronts further into the cloud. Young stars in bright-rimmed or
comet-shaped clouds are likely to have been formed by triggering, which would
result in an age spread of several megayears between the member stars or star
groups formed in the sequence.Comment: 2007, ApJ, 657, 88
Parallel transport in an entangled ring
This paper defines a notion of parallel transport in a lattice of quantum
particles, such that the transformation associated with each link of the
lattice is determined by the quantum state of the two particles joined by that
link. We focus particularly on a one-dimensional lattice--a ring--of entangled
rebits, which are binary quantum objects confined to a real state space. We
consider states of the ring that maximize the correlation between nearest
neighbors, and show that some correlation must be sacrificed in order to have
non-trivial parallel transport around the ring. An analogy is made with lattice
gauge theory, in which non-trivial parallel transport around closed loops is
associated with a reduction in the probability of the field configuration. We
discuss the possibility of extending our result to qubits and to higher
dimensional lattices.Comment: 31 pages, no figures; v2 includes a new example of a qubit rin
Accurately measuring the abundance of benthic microalgae in spatially variable habitats
Although many studies measure the abundance of benthic microalgae (BMA), at the meters squared scale, comparing these studies is difficult due to the variety of sampling, extraction, and analysis techniques. This difficulty is exacerbated by the fact that BMA abundance has high spatial and temporal variability, at all spatial scales. A suitable standard sampling regimen would reduce variation in estimates due to different sample collection and processing greatly facilitating comparisons between studies. This study examined the effect of varying the volume of extraction solvent, sampling core diameter, and sample replication on BMA biomass estimates. Key findings, applicable to all spatial scales, to accurately determine biomass were the use of a minimum sediment to extraction solvent ratio of 1:2 and use of a sampling core diameter of 19 mm. Across a wide range of sediment types, at the meters squared scale and using spectrophotometric techniques, a minimum replication number of 8 was found to be appropriate. We report the significant effect coring depth and units of expression have on BMA biomass estimates across a range of sediment types, highlighting the potential pitfalls when comparing studies
Seagrass habitats of northeast Australia: models of key processes and controls
An extensive and diverse assemblage of seagrass habitats exists along the tropical and subtropical coastline of north east Australia and the associated Great Barrier Reef. In their natural state, these habitats are characterised by very low nutrient concentrations and are primarily nitrogen limited. Summer rainfall and tropical storms/cyclones lead to large flows of sediment-laden fresh water. Macro grazers, dugongs (Dugong dugon) and green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are an important feature in structuring tropical Australian seagrass communities. In general, all seagrass habitats in north east Australia are influenced by high disturbance and are both spatially and temporally variable. This paper classifies the diversity into four habitat types and proposes the main limiting factor for each habitat. The major processes that categorise each habitat are described and significant threats or gaps in understanding are identified. Four broad categories of seagrass habitat are defined as 'River estuaries', 'Coastal', 'Deep water' and 'Reef', and the dominant controlling factors are terrigenous runoff, physical disturbance, low light and low nutrients, respectively. Generic concepts of seagrass ecology and habitat function have often been found inappropriate to the diverse range of seagrass habitats in north east Australian waters. The classification and models developed here explain differences in habitats by identifying ecological functions and potential response to impacts in each habitat. This understanding will help to better focus seagrass management and research in tropical habitats
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