The prompt lepton cookbook

We review the calculation of the prompt lepton flux, produced in the atmosphere by the semileptonic decay of charmed particles. We describe side by side the intermediary ingredients used by different authors, which include not only the charm production model, but also other atmospheric particle showering parameters. After evaluating separately the relevance of each single ingredient, we analyze the effect of different combinations over the final result. We highlight the impact of the prompt lepton flux calculation upon high-energy neutrino telescopes.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures; revised version, accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic

The Star Cluster Systems of the Magellanic Clouds

The characteristics of the cluster systems of the Magellanic Clouds, as inferred from integrated properties, are compared with those from individual cluster studies and from the field population. The agreement is generally satisfactory though in the case of the LMC, the lack of clusters older than ~3 Gyr is not reflected in the field population. The possible origin(s) for this cluster ``age-gap'' are discussed. The SMC cluster age-metallicity relation is also presented and discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of IAU Symposium 207, "Extragalactic Star Clusters", eds E. Grebel, D. Geisler and D. Minnit

Viscous heating effects in fluids with temperature-dependent viscosity: triggering of secondary flows

Viscous heating can play an important role in the dynamics of fluids with strongly temperature-dependent viscosities because of the coupling between the energy and momentum equations. The heat generated by viscous friction produces a local temperature increase near the tube walls with a consequent decrease of the viscosity and a strong stratification in the viscosity profile. The problem of viscous heating in fluids was investigated and reviewed by Costa & Macedonio (2003) because of its important implications in the study of magma flows. Because of the strong coupling between viscosity and temperature, the temperature rise due to the viscous heating may trigger instabilities in the velocity field, which cannot be predicted by a simple isothermal Newtonian model. When viscous heating produces a pronounced peak in the temperature profile near the walls, a triggering of instabilities and a transition to secondary flows can occur because of the stratification in the viscosity profile. In this paper we focus on the thermal and mechanical effects caused by viscous heating. We will present the linear stability equations and we will show, as in certain regimes, these effects can trigger and sustain a particular class of secondary rotational flows which appear organised in coherent structures similar to roller vortices. This phenomenon can play a very important role in the dynamics of magma flows in conduits and lava flows in channels and, to our knowledge, it is the first time that it has been investigated by a direct numerical simulation.Comment: 18 pages manuscript, 10 figures, to be published in Journal of Fluid Mechanics (2005

Crossovers between epigenesis and epigenetics. A multicenter approach to the history of epigenetics (1901-1975)

The origin of epigenetics has been traditionally traced back to Conrad Hal Waddington's foundational work in 1940s. The aim of the present paper is to reveal a hidden history of epigenetics, by means of a multicenter approach. Our analysis shows that genetics and embryology in early XX century--far from being non-communicating vessels--shared similar questions, as epitomized by Thomas Hunt Morgan's works. Such questions were rooted in the theory of epigenesis and set the scene for the development of epigenetics. Since the 1950s, the contribution of key scientists (Mary Lyon and Eduardo Scarano), as well as the discussions at the international conference of Gif-sur-Yvette (1957) paved the way for three fundamental shifts of focus: 1. From the whole embryo to the gene; 2. From the gene to the complex extranuclear processes of development; 3. From cytoplasmic inheritance to the epigenetics mechanisms

A Second Shell in the Fornax dSph Galaxy

In the search for tidal structure in Galactic satellite systems, we have conducted a photometric survey over a 10 square degree area centred on the Fornax dSph galaxy. The survey was made in two colours, and the resulting colour-magnitude data were used as a mask to select candidate Fornax RGB stars, thereby increasing the contrast of Fornax stars to background sources in the outer regions. Previously, we reported the presence of a shell (age 2 Gyr) located towards the centre of Fornax. In this contribution we reveal a second shell, significantly larger than the first, located 1.3 degrees NW from the centre of Fornax, outside the nominal tidal radius. Moreover, the distribution of Fornax RGB stars reveals two lobes extending to the spatial limit of our survey, and aligned with the minor axis and with the two shells. These results support the hypothesis of a merger between Fornax and a gas-rich companion approximately 2 Gyr ago.Comment: Four pages,accepted for the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. Contribution the annual ASA meeting, Brisbane 200