Newly discovered brown dwarfs not seen in microlensing time scale frequency distribution?

The 2-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) (Skrutskie et al. 1997) and the DEep Near Infrared Survey of the southern sky (DENIS) (Epchtein et al. 1997) have revealed a heretofore unknown population of free brown dwarfs that has extended the local mass function down to as small as 0.01M_sun (Reid et al. 1999). If this local proportion of brown dwarfs extends throughout the Galaxy---in particular in the Galactic bulge---one expects an increase in the predicted fraction of short time scale microlensing events in directions toward the Galactic bulge. Zhao et al.(1996) have indicated that a mass function with 30-60% of the lens mass in brown dwarfs is not consistent with empirical microlensing data. Here we show that even the much lower mass fraction (~ 10%) of brown dwarfs inferred from the new discoveries appears inconsistent with the data. The added brown dwarfs do indeed increase the expected number of short time scale events, but they appear to drive the peak in the time scale frequency distribution to time scales smaller than that observed, and do not otherwise match the observed distribution. A reasonably good match to the empirical data (Alcock et al. 1996) is obtained by increasing the fraction of stars in the range 0.08<m<0.7M_sun considerably above that deduced from several star counts. However, all inferences from microlensing about the appropriate stellar mass function must be qualified by the meagerness of the microlensing data and the uncertainties in the Galactic model.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. PS file using aas2pp4.sty. To appear in ApJ Letter

Fitting functions for dark matter density profiles

We present a unified parameterization of the fitting functions suitable for density profiles of dark matter haloes or elliptical galaxies. A notable feature is that the classical Einasto profile appears naturally as the continuous limiting case of the cored subfamily amongst the double power-law profiles of Zhao (1996). Based on this, we also argue that there is basically no qualitative difference between halo models well-fitted by the Einasto profile and the standard NFW model. This may even be the case quantitatively unless the resolutions of simulations and the precisions of fittings are sufficiently high to make meaningful distinction possible.Comment: 13 pages (6 pages main text + 5 pages appendices + 2 pages full tables) including 5 figures and 7 tables. submitted to MNRA

Investigation of split injection in a single cylinder optical diesel engine

SAE paper 2010-01-0605, Copyright © 2010 SAE International. This paper is posted on this site with permission from SAE International, and is for viewing only. Further use and distribution of this paper is not permitted without permission from SAE.Over the last decade, the diesel engine has made dramatic progress in its performance and market penetration. However, in order to meet future emissions legislations, Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and particulate matters’ (PM) emissions will need to be reduced simultaneously. Nowadays researchers are focused on different combustion modes which can have a great potential for both low soot and low NOx. In order to achieve this, different injection strategies have been investigated. This study investigates the effects of split injection strategies with high levels of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) on combustion performance and emissions in a single cylinder direct injection optical diesel engine. The investigation is focused on the effects of injection timing of split injection strategies. A Ricardo Hydra single cylinder optical engine was used in which conventional experimental methods like cylinder pressure data, heat release analysis and exhaust emissions analysis were applied. Optical techniques like direct spray and combustion visualization were applied by means of a high speed imaging system with a copper vapor laser illumination system and a high-speed two-color system was applied to obtain in-cylinder diesel combustion temperature and soot measurements distributions

On M-Theory Embedding of Topologically Massive Gravity

We show that topologically massive gravity can be obtained by the consistent Kaluza-Klein reduction from recently constructed seven-dimensional gravity with topological terms. The internal four-manifold should be Einstein with the Pontryagin four-form constantly proportional to the volume form. We also discuss the possible lift of the system to D=11. This enables us to connect the mass parameter \tilde\mu in D=3 to the M5-brane charge. The dimensionless quantity 3/(G\tilde \mu) is discrete and proportional to N, where N is the number of M5-branes.Comment: 8 pages, no figures, references added, version appeared in Int.J.Mod.Phys.

Directed evolution converts subtilisin E into a functional equivalent of thermitase

We used directed evolution to convert Bacillus subtilis subtilisin E into an enzyme functionally equivalent to its thermophilic homolog thermitase from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris. Five generations of random mutagenesis, recombination and screening created subtilisin E 5-3H5, whose half-life at 83°C (3.5 min) and temperature optimum for activity (Topt, 76°C) are identical with those of thermitase. The Topt of the evolved enzyme is 17°C higher and its half-life at 65°C is >200 times that of wild-type subtilisin E. In addition, 5-3H5 is more active towards the hydrolysis of succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-p-nitroanilide than wild-type at all temperatures from 10 to 90°C. Thermitase differs from subtilisin E at 157 amino acid positions. However, only eight amino acid substitutions were sufficient to convert subtilisin E into an enzyme equally thermostable. The eight substitutions, which include known stabilizing mutations (N218S, N76D) and also several not previously reported, are distributed over the surface of the enzyme. Only two (N218S, N181D) are found in thermitase. Directed evolution provides a powerful tool to unveil mechanisms of thermal adaptation and is an effective and efficient approach to increasing thermostability without compromising enzyme activity

Column size effects of DER fluids

The static yield stress of dielectric electrorheological(DER) fluids of infinite column state and chain state are calculated from the first principle method. The results indicate that the column surface contributions to ER effects is very small and both states will give correct results to the real DER fluids.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure