573 research outputs found
Motility and recovery of alpaca (Vicugna pacos) spermatozoa after centrifugation in a density gradient solution
Background: One of the factors limiting successful processing of alpaca (Vicugna pacos) semen is the viscosity of seminal plasma. The viscous nature of the collected ejaculate has hindered sperm cryopreservation as well as artificial insemination (AI) under field conditions. Aims: The objective of this investigation was to evaluate recovery, motility, and plasma membrane integrity of alpaca spermatozoa after centrifugation in one of two different solutions at one of three different combinations of speed and time. Methods: A total of 24 ejaculates was recovered from seven reproductively sound Huacaya males using a modified artificial vagina (AV) after training the animals for semen collection. A 2 × 3 factorial treatment arrangement was utilized for this study. Ejaculates were divided into fractions for centrifugation in one of two solutions (Tris extender or PureSperm®80 density gradient solution) at one of three combinations of speed and time (492 × g for 15 min, 1968 × g for 10 min, or 4448 × g for 7 min). The experiment was replicated eight times. Results: Analysis revealed that centrifugation at 4448 × g for 7 min in PureSperm®80 provided a high recovery rate of spermatozoa with the highest sperm motility and functional integrity of plasma membrane post-centrifugation. Conclusion: Results suggest that adoption of this procedure (centrifugation at 4448 × g for 7 min in PureSperm®80) in the initial processing of alpaca ejaculates may enhance subsequent ability to use semen for AI and other assisted reproductive biotechnologies in this speciesFil: Gómez Quispe, O. E.. Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina; Perú. Universidad Nacional Micaela Bastidas de ApurÃmac; PerúFil: Gutiérrez Reynoso, G. A.. Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina; PerúFil: Gallegos Cardenas, A.. Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina; PerúFil: Fumuso, Fernanda Gabriela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Asparrin, M.. Fundo Mallkini de Michael & Cia S.A.; PerúFil: Asparrin Del Carpio, M.. Fundo Mallkini de Michael & Cia S.A.; PerúFil: Jara, C. W.. Fundo Mallkini de Michael & Cia S.A.; PerúFil: Ponce, D.. Vivanco International SAC; PerúFil: Miguel, M.. Vivanco International SAC; PerúFil: Youngs, C. R.. Iowa State University; Estados UnidosFil: Vivanco, H. W.. Vivanco International SAC; Per
A Bayesian assessment of an approximate model for unconfined water flow in sloping layered porous media
The prediction of water table height in unconfined layered porous media is a difficult modelling problem that typically requires numerical simulation. This paper proposes an analytical model to approximate the exact solution based on a steady-state Dupuit–Forchheimer analysis. The key contribution in relation to a similar model in the literature relies in the ability of the proposed model to consider more than two layers with different thicknesses and slopes, so that the existing model becomes a special case of the proposed model herein. In addition, a model assessment methodology based on the Bayesian inverse problem is proposed to efficiently identify the values of the physical parameters for which the proposed model is accurate when compared against a reference model given by MODFLOW-NWT, the open-source finite-difference code by the U.S. Geological Survey. Based on numerical results for a representative case study, the ratio of vertical recharge rate to hydraulic conductivity emerges as a key parameter in terms of model accuracy so that, when appropriately bounded, both the proposed model and MODFLOW-NWT provide almost identical results
Two-dimensional Navier--Stokes simulation of deformation and break up of liquid patches
The large deformations and break up of circular 2D liquid patches in a high
Reynolds number (Re=1000) gas flow are investigated numerically. The 2D, plane
flow Navier--Stokes equations are directly solved with explicit tracking of the
interface between the two phases and a new algorithm for surface tension. The
numerical method is able to pursue the simulation beyond the breaking or
coalescence of droplets. The simulations are able to unveil the intriguing
details of the non-linear interplay between the deforming droplets and the
vortical structures in the droplet's wake.Comment: 13 pages including 4 postscript figures; Revised version as
resubmitted to PRL. Title has change
A Remarkable Three Hour Thermonuclear Burst From 4U 1820-30
We present a detailed observational and theoretical study of a ~3 hr long
X-ray burst (the ``super burst'') observed by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer
(RXTE) from the low mass X-ray binary (LMXB) 4U 1820-30. This is the longest
X-ray burst ever observed from this source, and perhaps one of the longest ever
observed in great detail from any source. We show that the super burst is
thermonuclear in origin. The level of the accretion driven flux as well as the
total energy release of ~1.5 x 10^{42} ergs indicate that helium could not be
the energy source for the super burst. We outline the physics relevant to
carbon production and burning on helium accreting neutron stars and present
calculations of the thermal evolution and stability of a carbon layer and show
that this process is the most likely explanation for the super burst. We show
that for large columns of accreted carbon fuel, a substantial fraction of the
energy released in the carbon burning layer is radiated away as neutrinos, and
the heat that is conducted from the burning layer in large part flows inward,
only to be released on timescales longer than the observed burst. Thus the
energy released possibly exceeds that observed in X-rays by more than a factor
of ten. Spectral analysis during the super burst reveals the presence of a
broad emission line between 5.8 - 6.4 keV and an edge at 8 - 9 keV likely due
to reflection of the burst flux from the inner accretion disk in 4U 1820-30. We
believe this is the first time such a signature has been unambiguously detected
in the spectrum of an X-ray burst.Comment: AASTEX, 44 pages, 14 figures. Accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journa
Correlations in intermediate-energy two-proton removal reactions
We report final-state-exclusive measurements of the light charged fragments
in coincidence with 26Ne residual nuclei following the direct two-proton
removal from a neutron-rich 28Mg secondary beam. A Dalitz-plot analysis and
comparisons with simulations show that a majority of the triple- coincidence
events with two protons display phase-space correlations consistent with the
(two-body) kinematics of a spatially-correlated pair-removal mechanism. The
fraction of such correlated events, 56(12) %, is consistent with the fraction
of the calculated cross section, 64 %, arising from spin S = 0 two-proton
configurations in the entrance-channel (shell-model) 28Mg ground state wave
function. This result promises access to an additional and more specific probe
of the spin and spatial correlations of valence nucleon pairs in exotic nuclei
produced as fast secondary beams.Comment: accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter
Investigations of three, four, and five-particle exit channels of levels in light nuclei created using a 9C beam
The interactions of a E/A=70-MeV 9C beam with a Be target was used to
populate levels in Be, B, and C isotopes which undergo decay into many-particle
exit channels. The decay products were detected in the HiRA array and the level
energies were identified from their invariant mass. Correlations between the
decay products were examined to deduce the nature of the decays, specifically
to what extent all the fragments were created in one prompt step or whether the
disintegration proceeded in a sequential fashion through long-lived
intermediate states. In the latter case, information on the spin of the level
was also obtained. Of particular interest is the 5-body decay of the 8C ground
state which was found to disintegrate in two steps of two-proton decay passing
through the 6Beg.s. intermediate state. The isobaric analog of 8Cg.s. in 8B was
also found to undergo two-proton decay to the isobaric analog of 6Beg.s. in
6Li. A 9.69-MeV state in 10C was found to undergo prompt 4-body decay to the
2p+2alpha exit channel. The two protons were found to have a strong
enhancementin the diproton region and the relative energies of all four p-alpha
pairs were consistent with the 5Lig.s. resonance
On Validating an Astrophysical Simulation Code
We present a case study of validating an astrophysical simulation code. Our
study focuses on validating FLASH, a parallel, adaptive-mesh hydrodynamics code
for studying the compressible, reactive flows found in many astrophysical
environments. We describe the astrophysics problems of interest and the
challenges associated with simulating these problems. We describe methodology
and discuss solutions to difficulties encountered in verification and
validation. We describe verification tests regularly administered to the code,
present the results of new verification tests, and outline a method for testing
general equations of state. We present the results of two validation tests in
which we compared simulations to experimental data. The first is of a
laser-driven shock propagating through a multi-layer target, a configuration
subject to both Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities. The second
test is a classic Rayleigh-Taylor instability, where a heavy fluid is supported
against the force of gravity by a light fluid. Our simulations of the
multi-layer target experiments showed good agreement with the experimental
results, but our simulations of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability did not agree
well with the experimental results. We discuss our findings and present results
of additional simulations undertaken to further investigate the Rayleigh-Taylor
instability.Comment: 76 pages, 26 figures (3 color), Accepted for publication in the ApJ
The formation of broad emission line regions in supernova-QSO wind interactions: II. 2D calculations
One aspect of supernova remnant evolution that is relatively unstudied is the influence of an AGN environment. A high density ambient medium and a nearby powerful continuum source will assist the cooling of shocked ejecta and swept-up gas. Motion of the surrounding medium relative to the remnant will also affect the remnant morphology. In an extension to previous work we have performed 2D hydrodynamical calculations of SNR evolution in an AGN environment, and have determined the evolutionary behaviour of cold gas in the remnant. The cold gas will contribute to the observed broad line emission in AGNs, and we present preliminary theoretical line profiles from our calculations. A more detailed comparison with observations will be performed in future work. The SNR-AGN interaction may be also useful as a diagnostic of AGN winds
Counter-propagating radiative shock experiments on the Orion laser and the formation of radiative precursors
We present results from new experiments to study the dynamics of radiative
shocks, reverse shocks and radiative precursors. Laser ablation of a solid
piston by the Orion high-power laser at AWE Aldermaston UK was used to drive
radiative shocks into a gas cell initially pressurised between and $1.0 \
bar with different noble gases. Shocks propagated at {80 \pm 10 \ km/s} and
experienced strong radiative cooling resulting in post-shock compressions of {
\times 25 \pm 2}. A combination of X-ray backlighting, optical self-emission
streak imaging and interferometry (multi-frame and streak imaging) were used to
simultaneously study both the shock front and the radiative precursor. These
experiments present a new configuration to produce counter-propagating
radiative shocks, allowing for the study of reverse shocks and providing a
unique platform for numerical validation. In addition, the radiative shocks
were able to expand freely into a large gas volume without being confined by
the walls of the gas cell. This allows for 3-D effects of the shocks to be
studied which, in principle, could lead to a more direct comparison to
astrophysical phenomena. By maintaining a constant mass density between
different gas fills the shocks evolved with similar hydrodynamics but the
radiative precursor was found to extend significantly further in higher atomic
number gases (\sim4$ times further in xenon than neon). Finally, 1-D and 2-D
radiative-hydrodynamic simulations are presented showing good agreement with
the experimental data.Comment: HEDLA 2016 conference proceeding
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