1,633 research outputs found
Modelling and Interpreting The Effects of Spatial Resolution on Solar Magnetic Field Maps
Different methods for simulating the effects of spatial resolution on
magnetic field maps are compared, including those commonly used for
inter-instrument comparisons. The investigation first uses synthetic data, and
the results are confirmed with {\it Hinode}/SpectroPolarimeter data. Four
methods are examined, one which manipulates the Stokes spectra to simulate
spatial-resolution degradation, and three "post-facto" methods where the
magnetic field maps are manipulated directly. Throughout, statistical
comparisons of the degraded maps with the originals serve to quantify the
outcomes. Overall, we find that areas with inferred magnetic fill fractions
close to unity may be insensitive to optical spatial resolution; areas of
sub-unity fill fractions are very sensitive. Trends with worsening spatial
resolution can include increased average field strength, lower total flux, and
a field vector oriented closer to the line of sight. Further-derived quantities
such as vertical current density show variations even in areas of high average
magnetic fill-fraction. In short, unresolved maps fail to represent the
distribution of the underlying unresolved fields, and the "post-facto" methods
generally do not reproduce the effects of a smaller telescope aperture. It is
argued that selecting a method in order to reconcile disparate spatial
resolution effects should depend on the goal, as one method may better preserve
the field distribution, while another can reproduce spatial resolution
degradation. The results presented should help direct future inter-instrument
comparisons.Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physics. The final publication
(including full-resolution figures) will be available at
http://www.springerlink.co
Multiscale nature of hysteretic phenomena: Application to CoPt-type magnets
We suggest a workable approach for the description of multiscale
magnetization reversal phenomena in nanoscale magnets and apply it to CoPt-type
alloys. We show that their hysteretic properties are governed by two effects
originating at different length scales: a peculiar splitting of domain walls
and their strong pinning at antiphase boundaries. We emphasize that such
multiscale nature of hysteretic phenomena is a generic feature of nanoscale
magnetic materials.Comment: 4 pages (revtex 4), 2 color EPS figure
Multi-locus phylogeny of Pleosporales: a taxonomic, ecological and evolutionary re-evaluation
Five loci, nucSSU, nucLSU rDNA, TEF1, RPB1 and RPB2, are used for analysing 129 pleosporalean taxa representing 59 genera and 15 families in the current classification of Pleosporales. The suborder Pleosporineae is emended to include four families, viz. Didymellaceae, Leptosphaeriaceae, Phaeosphaeriaceae and Pleosporaceae. In addition, two new families are introduced, i.e. Amniculicolaceae and Lentitheciaceae. Pleomassariaceae is treated as a synonym of Melanommataceae, and new circumscriptions of Lophiostomataceae s. str, Massarinaceae and Lophiotrema are proposed. Familial positions of Entodesmium and Setomelanomma in Phaeosphaeriaceae, Neophaeosphaeria in Leptosphaeriaceae, Leptosphaerulina, Macroventuria and Platychora in Didymellaceae, Pleomassaria in Melanommataceae and Bimuria, Didymocrea, Karstenula and Paraphaeosphaeria in Montagnulaceae are clarified. Both ecological and morphological characters show varying degrees of phylogenetic significance. Pleosporales is most likely derived from a saprobic ancestor with fissitunicate asci containing conspicuous ocular chambers and apical rings. Nutritional shifts in Pleosporales likely occured from saprotrophic to hemibiotrophic or biotrophic
Mutation of the Traj18 gene segment using TALENs to generate Natural Killer T cell deficient mice.
Invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells are a unique subset of T lymphocytes that have been implicated in both promoting and suppressing a multitude of immune responses. In mice, iNKT cells express T cell antigen receptors (TCRs) comprising a unique TCRα rearrangement between the Trav11 and Traj18 gene segments. When paired with certain Trbv TCRβ chains, these TCRs recognize lipid antigens presented by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-like molecule, CD1d. Until recently, the sole model of iNKT deficiency targeted the Jα18, which is absolutely required to form the TCR with the appropriate antigenic specificity. However, these mice were demonstrated to have a large reduction in TCR repertoire diversity, which could confound results arising from studies using these mice. Here, we have created a new NKT-deficient mouse strain using transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) technology to only disrupt the expression of Jα18, leaving the remaining Jα repertoire unperturbed. We confirm that these mice lack iNKT cells and do not respond to lipid antigen stimulation while the development of conventional T cells, regulatory T cells, and type Ib NKT cells is normal. This new mouse strain will serve as a new model of iNKT cell deficiency to facilitate our understanding of iNKT biology
The X10 Flare on 2003 October 29: Triggered by Magnetic Reconnection between Counter-Helical Fluxes?
Vector magnetograms taken at Huairou Solar Observing Station (HSOS) and Mees
Solar Observatory (MSO) reveal that the super active region (AR) NOAA 10486 was
a complex region containing current helicity flux of opposite signs. The main
positive sunspots were dominated by negative helicity fields, while positive
helicity patches persisted both inside and around the main positive sunspots.
Based on a comparison of two days of deduced current helicity density,
pronounced changes were noticed which were associated with the occurrence of an
X10 flare that peaked at 20:49 UT, 2003 October 29. The average current
helicity density (negative) of the main sunspots decreased significantly by
about 50. Accordingly, the helicity densities of counter-helical patches
(positive) were also found to decay by the same proportion or more. In
addition, two hard X-ray (HXR) `footpoints' were observed by the Reuven Ramaty
High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI} during the flare in the 50-100
keV energy range. The cores of these two HXR footpoints were adjacent to the
positions of two patches with positive current helicity which disappeared after
the flare. This strongly suggested that the X10 flare on 2003 Oct. 29 resulted
from reconnection between magnetic flux tubes having opposite current helicity.
Finally, the global decrease of current helicity in AR 10486 by ~50% can be
understood as the helicity launched away by the halo coronal mass ejection
(CME) associated with the X10 flare.Comment: Solar Physics, 2007, in pres
Quasinormal modes of a Schwarzschild black hole surrounded by free static spherically symmetric quintessence: Electromagnetic perturbations
In this paper, we evaluated the quasinormal modes of electromagnetic
perturbation in a Schwarzschild black hole surrounded by the static spherically
symmetric quintessence by using the third-order WKB approximation when the
quintessential state parameter in the range of . Due to
the presence of quintessence, Maxwell field damps more slowly. And when at
, it is similar to the black hole solution in the ds/Ads
spacetime. The appropriate boundary conditions need to be modified.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Massive Charged Scalar Quasinormal Modes of Reissner-N\"ordstrom Black Hole Surrounded by Quintessence
We evaluate the complex frequencies of the normal modes for the massive
charged scalar field perturbations around a Reissner-N\"ordstrom black hole
surrounded by a static and spherically symmetric quintessence using third order
WKB approximation approach. Due to the presence of quintessence, quasinormal
frequencies damp more slowly. We studied the variation of quasinormal
frequencies with charge of the black bole, mass and charge of perturbating
scalar field and the quintessential state parameter.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures and one tabl
How spiking neurons give rise to a temporal-feature map
A temporal-feature map is a topographic neuronal representation of temporal attributes of phenomena or objects that occur in the outside world. We explain the evolution of such maps by means of a spike-based Hebbian learning rule in conjunction with a presynaptically unspecific contribution in that, if a synapse changes, then all other synapses connected to the same axon change by a small fraction as well. The learning equation is solved for the case of an array of Poisson neurons. We discuss the evolution of a temporal-feature map and the synchronization of the single cells’ synaptic structures, in dependence upon the strength of presynaptic unspecific learning. We also give an upper bound for the magnitude of the presynaptic interaction by estimating its impact on the noise level of synaptic growth. Finally, we compare the results with those obtained from a learning equation for nonlinear neurons and show that synaptic structure formation may profit
from the nonlinearity
Anisotropy of exchange stiffness and its effect on the properties of magnets
Using the spin-spiral formulation of the tight-binding linear muffin-tin
orbital method, the principal components of the exchange stiffness tensor are
calculated for typical hard magnets including tetragonal CoPt-type and
hexagonal YCo5 alloys. The exchange stiffness is strongly anisotropic in all
studied alloys. This anisotropy makes the domain wall surface tension
anisotropic. Competition between this anisotropic surface tension and
magnetostatic energy controls the formation and dynamics of nanoscale domain
structures in hard magnets. Anisotropic domain wall bending is described in
detail from the general point of view and with application to cellular Sm-Co
magnets. It is shown that the repulsive cell-boundary pinning mechanism in
these magnets is feasible only due to the anisotropic exchange stiffness if
suitably oriented initial pinning centers are available. In polytwinned
CoPt-type magnets the exchange stiffness anisotropy controls the orientation of
macrodomain wall segments. These segments may reorient both statically during
microstructural coarsening and dynamically during the macrodomain wall
splitting in external field. Reorientation of segments may facilitate their
pinning at antiphase boundaries.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, revtex4; to be published in J. Magn. Magn Mate
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