Kondo temperature of magnetic impurities at surfaces

Based on the experimental observation, that only the close vicinity of a magnetic impurity at metal surfaces determines its Kondo behaviour, we introduce a simple model which explains the Kondo temperatures observed for cobalt adatoms at the (111) and (100) surfaces of Cu, Ag, and Au. Excellent agreement between the model and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) experiments is demonstrated. The Kondo temperature is shown to depend on the occupation of the d-level determined by the hybridization between adatom and substrate with a minimum around single occupancy.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

The CRESST Dark Matter Search

We present first competitive results on WIMP dark matter using the phonon-light-detection technique. A particularly strong limit for WIMPs with coherent scattering results from selecting a region of the phonon-light plane corresponding to tungsten recoils. The observed count rate in the neutron band is compatible with the rate expected from neutron background. CRESST is presently being upgraded with a 66 channel SQUID readout system, a neutron shield and a muon veto system. This results in a significant improvement in sensitivity.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to be published in the proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on the Identification and Detection of Dark Matter IDM 2004, Edinburgh, Sept. 2004, World Scientifi

Habitat Characteristics of Black Crappie Nest Sites in an Illinois Impoundment

Ten nest colonies of black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus were visually located and verified by angling in Campus Lake, a small urban impoundment in southern Illinois. Habitat characteristics were measured at these nest sites and compared to habitat measurements obtained from 45 unused sites. Seven habitat characteristics (substrate firmness, temperature, dissolved oxygen, distance to deep water [3.8-m depth contour], substrate type, vegetation height, and vegetation density) were significantly different between nest sites and unused sites. Although temperature and dissolved oxygen were significantly different between nest sites and unused sites, all values were within the suitable range for black crappie spawning to occur. Black crappies selected nest sites close to deep water with firm substrates and low vegetation height and density. Our results present insight on habitat characteristics of black crappie spawning locations in a small urban impoundment. Interestingly, we located several black crappie nesting colonies with more than 10 individual nests in close proximity to one another; colonial nesting by black crappies has not previously been reported in the literature. Furthermore, we suggest that degree of shoreline modification and other anthropogenic influences in and adjacent to Campus Lake did not affect black crappie nest site selection. Black crappie nest sites in Campus Lake were always located near deep water (3.8 m), in low-density, short vegetation, and on firm clay or sand substrate; because nest site selection can influence earlylife survival and recruitment of black crappie, the availability of these habitat characteristics may regulate black crappie population demographics in Campus Lake. Efforts to limit sediment inputs will be important for maintaining suitable black crappie spawning habitat in Campus Lake and other small impoundments

Finite population size effects in quasispecies models with single-peak fitness landscape

We consider finite population size effects for Crow-Kimura and Eigen quasispecies models with single-peak fitness landscape. We formulate accurately the iteration procedure for the finite population models, then derive the Hamilton-Jacobi equation (HJE) to describe the dynamic of the probability distribution. The steady-state solution of HJE gives the variance of the mean fitness. Our results are useful for understanding the population sizes of viruses in which the infinite population models can give reliable results for biological evolution problems

Horn Fly Control and Growth Implants are Effective Strategies for Heifers Grazing Flint Hills Pasture

Horn flies (Haematobia irritans (L.)) are considered the most important external parasite that negatively affects pasture-based beef systems with losses estimated to exceed $1 billion annually to the U.S. beef industry. Control strategies have relied heavily on insecticide applications to control horn flies and are implemented when the economic threshold of 200 flies/animal have been exceeded. When horn fly populations are maintained below 200 flies/animal by treating them with insecticides then the level of stress annoyance behaviors such as leg stomping, head throwing, and skin twitching decreases while grazing increases. While most stocker operators utilize some type of fly control these are rarely used as a single pharmaceutical technology to aid in performance of the animals. Additional pharmaceutical technologies are utilized in combination of others, with the use of de-wormers and implants showing the largest impact with performance of stockers. The objective of this study was to compare a commercial injectable insecticide, LongRange, to an insecticidal ear tag for horn fly control and determine the impact of weight performance on stockers when fly control technologies were used in combination with implants versus no implants

Critical Currents, Pinning Forces and Irreversibility Fields in (YxTml-x)Ba2Cu3O7 Single Crystals with Columnar Defects in Fields up to 50 T

We have studied the influence of columnar defects, created by heavy-ion (Kr) irradiation with doses up to 6 10^11 Kr-ions/cm2, on the superconducting critical parameters of single crystalline (YxTm1-x)Ba2Cu3O7. Magnetisation measurements in pulsed fields up to 50 T in the temperature range 4.2 - 90 K revealed that: (i) in fields up to T the critical current Jc(H,T) is considerably enhanced and (ii) down to temperatures T ~ 40 K the irreversibility field Hirr(T) is strongly increased. The field range and magnitude of the Jc(H,T) and Hirr(T) enhancement increase with increasing irradiation dose. To interpret these observations, an effective matching field was defined. Moreover, introducing columnar defects also changes the pinning force fp qualitatively. Due to stronger pinning of flux lines by the amorphous defects, the superconducting critical parameters largely exceed those associated with the defect structures in the unirradiated as-grown material: Jc,irrad(77 K, 5 T) ^3 10* Jc,ref(77 K, 5 T).Comment: 11 pages, all PDF, contribution to Physica