QYMSYM: A GPU-Accelerated Hybrid Symplectic Integrator That Permits Close Encounters

We describe a parallel hybrid symplectic integrator for planetary system integration that runs on a graphics processing unit (GPU). The integrator identifies close approaches between particles and switches from symplectic to Hermite algorithms for particles that require higher resolution integrations. The integrator is approximately as accurate as other hybrid symplectic integrators but is GPU accelerated.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure

Structural parameters for globular clusters in NGC 5128. III. ACS surface-brightness profiles and model fits

We present internal surface-brightness profiles, based on HST/ACS imaging in the F606W bandpass, for 131 globular cluster (GC) candidates with luminosities 10^4 - 3 x 10^6 solar, in the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 5128. Several structural models are fit to the profile of each cluster and combined with mass-to-light ratios from population-synthesis models, to derive a catalogue of fundamental structural and dynamical parameters parallel in form to the catalogues recently produced by McLaughlin & van der Marel and Barmby et al. for GCs and massive young star clusters in Local Group galaxies. As part of this, we provide corrected and extended parameter estimates for another 18 clusters in NGC 5128, which we observed previously. We show that, like GCs in the Milky Way and some of its satellites, the majority of globulars in NGC 5128 are well fit by isotropic Wilson models, which have intrinsically more distended envelope structures than the standard King lowered isothermal spheres. We use our models to predict internal velocity dispersions for every cluster in our sample. These predictions agree well in general with the observed dispersions in a small number of clusters for which spectroscopic data are available. In a subsequent paper, we use these results to investigate scaling relations for GCs in NGC 5128.Comment: MNRAS, in press. 28 pages. Full data tables available at http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/~dem/clusters.htm

Reservation status and priorities for Tasmanian plants I. Angiospermae (Dicotyledonae)

Almost one-fifth of Tasmanian native dicotyledonous angiosperms are not known from any national park or equivalent reserve. Extinct, endangered, vulnerable and unreserved species are "most common among annuals and least common among woody plants. The unreserved species have their distributions concentrated between Launceston and Hobart in the dry, naturally grassy Midlands. A minimum reservation strategy is suggested for those species for which this option still exists

The Influence of Seed Mix and Management on the Performance and Persistence of Sown Forbs in Buffer Strips

A popular option under agri-environmental schemes throughout Europe has been the introduction of buffer strips adjacent to field boundaries. Buffer strips are usually established using grass-only seed mixes, or through natural regeneration. As a consequence, their function and biodiversity value might be limited due to a low presence of desirable forb species. Given the financial barrier of using forb-rich seed mixes, there is a need to identify species that establish reliably in parallel with management options that encourage their persistence. In a 5-year study across three different sites we investigated the responses of 32 different forb species sown in two different grass-based seed mixes tailored to soil type. Generally, there was an increase in sown forb cover with time, and this effect was greatest in plots sown with fine-grasses treated with an application of graminicide or an annual cut. We have identified a suite of ten forb species that are likely to establish and persist in buffer strip habitats

The relationship between fear of compassion, attitudes towards emotional expression and subjective well-being among a community adult sample

Proponents of positive psychology advocate that it is the absence of distress combined with the presence of positive functioning that is reflective of good mental health and well-being (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2014). There is consensus within the theoretical schools of well-being that the capacity to freely experience and express emotion is important to subjective well-being (Ryan & Deci, 2001; Ryff & Singer, 1998). Fear of Compassion (FoC; Gilbert et al., 2014) and Attitudes towards Emotional Expression (AEE; Joseph, 1994) are two transdiagnostic concepts related to distress and the ability to experience and express emotion in a healthy manner. The relationships between these concepts and subjective well-being were explored for the first time in a community sample of 331 adults aged between 18 and 89 who completed the AEE questionnaire (Joseph et al., 1994), FoC scales (Gilbert et al., 2014), Positive and Negative Affect Scales (Watson, Lee, & Tellegen, 1988), and Positive Functioning Inventory (PFI; Joseph & Maltby, 2014). Correlations revealed that more negative AEE and greater fears of compassion were associated with lower levels of subjective well-being. Partial correlations and multiple regressions provided evidence that FoC and AEE explain unique variance in subjective well-being. Thus, whilst both concepts relate to the processing, and expression of, emotions, they appear to act through different mechanisms. It is suggested that FoC and AEE may map on to different aspects of the Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory (CEST; Epstein, 2003), with FoC proposed to map onto the emotional-cognitive experiential system and AEE suggested to map onto the cognitive rational system. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed; for example, the utility of AEE and FoC to both distress and subjective well-being, and the value in conceptualising mental health on a single continuum as done by the PFI (Joseph & Maltby, 2014)

The relationship between fear of compassion, attitudes towards emotional expression and subjective well-being among a community adult sample

Proponents of positive psychology advocate that it is the absence of distress combined with the presence of positive functioning that is reflective of good mental health and well-being (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2014). There is consensus within the theoretical schools of well-being that the capacity to freely experience and express emotion is important to subjective well-being (Ryan & Deci, 2001; Ryff & Singer, 1998). Fear of Compassion (FoC; Gilbert et al., 2014) and Attitudes towards Emotional Expression (AEE; Joseph, 1994) are two transdiagnostic concepts related to distress and the ability to experience and express emotion in a healthy manner. The relationships between these concepts and subjective well-being were explored for the first time in a community sample of 331 adults aged between 18 and 89 who completed the AEE questionnaire (Joseph et al., 1994), FoC scales (Gilbert et al., 2014), Positive and Negative Affect Scales (Watson, Lee, & Tellegen, 1988), and Positive Functioning Inventory (PFI; Joseph & Maltby, 2014). Correlations revealed that more negative AEE and greater fears of compassion were associated with lower levels of subjective well-being. Partial correlations and multiple regressions provided evidence that FoC and AEE explain unique variance in subjective well-being. Thus, whilst both concepts relate to the processing, and expression of, emotions, they appear to act through different mechanisms. It is suggested that FoC and AEE may map on to different aspects of the Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory (CEST; Epstein, 2003), with FoC proposed to map onto the emotional-cognitive experiential system and AEE suggested to map onto the cognitive rational system. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed; for example, the utility of AEE and FoC to both distress and subjective well-being, and the value in conceptualising mental health on a single continuum as done by the PFI (Joseph & Maltby, 2014)

Simultaneous Modelling of the Stellar Halo and Globular Cluster System of NGC 5128

An important test for models of galaxy formation lies in the metallicity distribution functions (MDFs) of spheroid stars and their globular clusters (GCs).We have compared the MDFs obtained from spectroscopy of the GCs and the star-by-star photometry of red giants in the nearby elliptical NGC 5128, with the predictions of a semi-analytic galaxy formation model. We have selected model ellipticals comparable in luminosity and environment to NGC 5128, and derived their MDFs. A direct comparison between models and data shows that the MDFs are qualitatively similar, both have stellar components which are predominantly metal-rich (0.8Z), with a small fraction of metal-poor stars extending down to 0.002Z. The model MDFs show only small variations, whether they are brightest cluster galaxies or low luminosity group ellipticals. Our comparison also reveals that these model MDFs harbour a greater fraction of stars above solar metallicity than the observations, producing generally more metal-rich (by 0.1 dex) MDFs. One possibility is that the outer-bulge observations are missing some of the highest metallicity stars. We find good agreement between the model and observed GC MDFs, provided that the metal-poor GC formation is halted early in the model. Under this proviso, both the models and data are bimodal with peaks at 0.1Z and Z, and cover similar metallicity ranges. This broad agreement for the stars and GCs suggests that the bulk of the stellar population in NGC 5128 may have been built up in a hierarchical fashion, involving both quiescent and merger-induced star formation. The existence of age structure amongst the metal-rich GCs needs to be tested against high-quality data for this galaxy.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures and a table, accepted by MNRA