White Dwarfs In Ngc6397 And M4: Constraints On The Physics Of Crystallization

We explore the physics of crystallization in the dense Coulomb plasma of the deep interiors of white dwarf stars using the color-magnitude diagram and luminosity function constructed from Hubble Space Telescope photometry of the globular cluster M 4 and compare it with our results for proper motion cleaned Hubble Space Telescope photometry of the globular cluster NGC 6397. We demonstrate that the data are consistent with a binary mixture of carbon and oxygen crystallizing at a value of Gamma higher than the theoretical value for a One Component Plasma (OCP). We show that this result is in line with the latest Molecular Dynamics simulations for binary mixtures of C/O. We discuss implications for future work.Astronom

Entropy Production in the Inflationary Epoch Using the Gouy-Stodola Theorem

In this work, we use the Gouy-Stodola theorem to calculate the entropy production rate in the inflationary epoch of the universe. This theorem allows us the simple calculation of entropy and entropy production rate occasioned by the decaying of the inflaton scalar field. Both the entropy and entropy production rate achieve large values, agreeing with the expected values present in the literature

Monte Carlo studies of the ordering of the one-dimensional Heisenberg spin glass with long-range power-law interactions

The nature of the ordering of the one-dimensional Heisenberg spin-glass model with a long-range power-law interaction is studied by extensive Monte Carlo simulations, with particular attention to the issue of the spin-chirality decoupling/coupling. Large system sizes up to $L=4096$ are studied. With varying the exponent $\sigma$ describing the power-law interaction, we observe three distinct types of ordering regimes. For smaller $\sigma$, the spin and the chirality order at a common finite temperature with a common correlation-length exponent, exhibiting the standard spin-chirality coupling behavior. For intermediate $\sigma$, the chirality orders at a temperature higher than the spin, exhibiting the spin-chirality decoupling behavior. For larger $\sigma$, both the spin and the chirality order at zero temperature. We construct a phase diagram in the $\sigma$ versus the temperature plane, and discuss implications of the results. Critical properties associated with both the chiral-glass and the spin-glass transitions are also determined.Comment: 28 pages, 26 figures, to appear in J. Phys. Soc. Jp

When does new particle formation not occur in the upper troposphere?

International audienceRecent aircraft studies showed that new particle formation is very active in the free troposphere and lower stratosphere. And, these observations lead to a new question: when does new particle formation not occur? Here, we provide case studies to show how convection and surface area affect new particle formation in the upper troposphere, using the measured aerosol size distributions during the NSF/NCAR GV Progressive Science Missions in December 2005. There were ten research flights, including three days of nighttime experiments, at latitudes from 18 to 52° N and altitudes up to 14 km. About 78% of the total samples showed the new particle formation feature with number concentrations of particles with diameters from 4 to 9 nm, 670±1270 cm?3, and the total particle number concentrations with diameters from 4 to 2000 nm, 920±1470 cm?3. Our case studies show that new particle formation was closely associated with convection and low surface areas of preexisting aerosol particles (?3). On the other hand, for the cases where no new particle formation events were observed, air masses usually did not experience a vertical motion and air often originated from either the upper troposphere or lower stratosphere where precursor concentrations are relatively low; in addition, it was also a general trend that non-event cases also had higher surface areas (~16 ?m² cm?3). These observations are consistent with other observations during the Progressive Science Missions (Young et al., 2007). Because of the lower temperatures in this region (T<250 K), nucleation is thermodynamically favorable; but because of low aerosol precursor concentrations, nucleation is sensitive to aerosol precursor concentration and surface area. Under such conditions, convection (which brings higher concentrations of aerosol precursors and water vapor to higher altitudes) and low surface area play critical roles on whether new particle formation takes place or not. Latitude dependence of new particles also shows higher particle concentrations in the midlatitude tropopause region than in the subtropics, consistent with Hermann et al. (2003)

External Uterine Contractions Signal Analysis

Labor dystocia is a major cause of operative delivery, which is associated with ncreased risks for both mother and fetus. We assessed linear and non-linear dynamics of external uterine contraction signals, in relation to labor progression and dystocia. Linear time domain, spectral and entropy methods were used to analyze external uterine contraction recordings obtained during the last two hours of labor, in 28 cases with normal and 27 cases with operative deliveries (forceps, vacuum or caesarean). Progression of labor was associated with a statistically significant increase in most linear time domain and spectral indices, both in normal and operative deliveries, whereas most entropy indices increased in normal deliveries, but did not change in operative deliveries. On the other hand, when compared with normal births, operative deliveries were associated with significantly increased entropy indices before the last hour of labor and significantly decreased (a probably associated) sympatho-vagal balance in the last hour of labor. Linear and non-linear analysis of external uterine contraction recordings may provide useful physiopathological and clinical information on the progression of labor and the diagnosis of dystocia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Monitorización de la oxidación del aceite de semillas de sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) suplementado con extractos de vainas de tara (Caesalpinia spinosa) mediante técnicas convencionales y MIR

This work focuses on the characterization of the oxidation of the oil from sacha inchi seeds (Plukenetia volubilis) under accelerated conditions at 60 ºC for 15 days. Five samples were monitored: three supplemented with 200 ppm of non-hydrolyzed or partially hydrolyzed (for 4 and 9 hours) extracts from tara (Caesalpinia spinosa) pods, one without antioxidant and one with 200 ppm of BHT. Several conventional tech­niques (induction time, peroxide value, conjugated dienoic acid, p-anisidine value, total unsaturated fatty acids and α-linolenic acid contents) and the MIR spectroscopy coupled with chemometric tools were used and com­pared. The results revealed that whatever the antioxidant added, the oil from sacha inchi is fairly stable over time. The results also pointed out that extracts from tara pods, mainly those partially hydrolyzed, were more efficient than BHT against oil oxidation for up to 7 days. Finally, this paper shows that MIR spectroscopy pres­ents an interesting alternative technique for the monitoring of the oxidation of the oil from sacha inchi.Este trabajo se centra en la caracterización de la oxidación de aceites de sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) en condiciones aceleradas a 60 ºC durante 15 días. Se monitorean cinco muestras: tres suplementadas con 200 ppm de extractos no hidrolizados o par­cialmente hidrolizados (durante 4 y 9 horas) de vainas de tara (Caesalpinia spinosa), una sin antioxidante y otra con 200 ppm de BHT. Se utilizan y comparan varias técnicas convencionales (tiempo de inducción, índice de peróxido, ácido dienoico conjugado, índice de p-anisidina, ácidos grasos insaturados totales y contenido de ácido α-linolénico) y la espectroscopía MIR junto con herramientas quimiométricas. Los resultados revelan que, cualquiera que sea el antioxidante agregado, el aceite de sacha inchi es bastante estable a lo largo del tiempo. Los resultados también seña­lan que los extractos de las vainas de tara, principalmente aquellos parcialmente hidrolizados, son más eficientes que el BHT contra la oxidación del aceite hasta los 7 días. Finalmente, el trabajo muestra que la espectroscopía MIR se presenta como una técnica alternativa interesante para el monitoreo de la oxidación del aceite de sacha inchi

Estimation of emission rate from experimental data

The estimation of the source pollutant strength is a relevant issue for atmospheric environment. This characterizes an inverse problem in the atmospheric pollution dispersion studies. In the inverse analysis, a time-dependent pollutant source is considered, where the location of such source term is assumed known. The inverse problem is formulated as a non-linear optimization approach, whose objective function is given by the least-square difference between the measured and simulated by the mathematical model, pollutant concentration, associated with a regularization operator. The forward problem is addressed by a Lagrangian model, and a quasi-Newton method is employed for minimizing the objective function. The second-order Tikhonov regularization is applied and the regularization parameter is computed by using the L-curve scheme. The inverse-problem methodology is verified with data from the tracer Copenhagen experiment

Probing neutrino mass with multilepton production at the Tevatron in the simplest R-parity violation model

We analyze the production of multileptons in the simplest supergravity model with bilinear violation of R parity at the Fermilab Tevatron. Despite the small R-parity violating couplings needed to generate the neutrino masses indicated by current atmospheric neutrino data, the lightest supersymmetric particle is unstable and can decay inside the detector. This leads to a phenomenology quite distinct from that of the R-parity conserving scenario. We quantify by how much the supersymmetric multilepton signals differ from the R-parity conserving expectations, displaying our results in the $m_0 \otimes m_{1/2}$ plane. We show that the presence of bilinear R-parity violating interactions enhances the supersymmetric multilepton signals over most of the parameter space, specially at moderate and large $m_0$.Comment: 26 pages, 23 figures. Revised version with some results corrected and references added. Conclusions remain the sam

Tiling the plane without supersymmetry

We present a way of tiling the plane with a regular hexagonal network of defects. The network is stable and follows in consequence of the three-junctions that appear in a model of two real scalar fields that presents $Z_3$ symmetry. The $Z_3$ symmetry is effective in both the vacuum and defect sectors, and no supersymmetry is required to build the network.Comment: Revtex, 4 pages, 1 ps figure; version to appear in Phys. Rev. Let