A Characterisation of the Weylian Structure of Space-Time by Means of Low Velocity Tests

The compatibility axiom in Ehlers, Pirani and Schild's (EPS) constructive axiomatics of the space-time geometry that uses light rays and freely falling particles with high velocity, is replaced by several constructions with low velocity particles only. For that purpose we describe in a space-time with a conformal structure and an arbitrary path structure the radial acceleration, a Coriolis acceleration and the zig-zag construction. Each of these quantities give effects whose requirement to vanish can be taken as alternative version of the compatibility axiom of EPS. The procedural advantage lies in the fact, that one can make null-experiments and that one only needs low velocity particles to test the compatibility axiom. We show in addition that Perlick's standard clock can exist in a Weyl space only.Comment: to appear in Gen.Rel.Gra

Screening of entomopathogenic nematodes for virulence against the invasive western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Europe

Entomopathogenic nematode species available in Europe were screened for their efficacy against both the root-feeding larvae and silk-feeding adults of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte. Laboratory screening tests were aimed at the selection of candidate biological control agents for the management of this invasive alien pest in Europe. Steinernema glaseri, S. arenarium, S. abassi, S. bicornutum, S. feltiae, S. kraussei, S. carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora were studied to determine their virulence against third instar larvae and adults of D. v. virgifera in small-volume arenas (using nematode concentrations of 0.5, 0.8, 7.9 and 15.9 infective juveniles cm-2). All nematode species were able to invade and propagate in D. v. virgifera larvae, but adults were rarely infected. At concentrations of 7.9 and 15.9 cm-2, S. glaseri, S. arenarium, S. abassi and H. bacteriophora caused the highest larval mortality of up to 77%. Steinernema bicornutum, S. abassi, S. carpocapsae and H. bacteriophora appeared to have a high propagation level, producing 5970±779, 5595±811, 5341±1177 and 4039±1025 infective juveniles per larva, respectively. Steinernema glaseri, S. arenarium, S. feltiae, S. kraussei and H. bacteriophora were further screened at a concentration of 16.7 nematodes cm-2 against third instar larvae in medium-volume arenas (sand-filled trays with maize plants). Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, S. arenarium and S. feltiae caused the highest larval mortality with 77±16.6%, 67±3.5%, and 57±17.1%, respectively. In a next step, criteria for rating the entomopathogenic nematode species were applied based on results obtained for virulence and propagation, and for current production costs and availability in Europe. These criteria were then rated to determine the potential of the nematodes for further field testing. Results showed the highest potential in H. bacteriophora, followed by S. arenarium and S. feltiae, for further testing as candidate biological control agent

Symmetries of the Energy-Momentum Tensor: Some Basic Facts

It has been pointed by Hall et al. [1] that matter collinations can be defined by using three different methods. But there arises the question of whether one studies matter collineations by using the ${\cal L}_\xi T_{ab}=0$, or ${\cal L}_\xi T^{ab}=0$ or ${\cal L}_\xi T_a^b=0$. These alternative conditions are, of course, not generally equivalent. This problem has been explored by applying these three definitions to general static spherically symmetric spacetimes. We compare the results with each definition.Comment: 17 pages, accepted for publication in "Communications in Theoretical Physics

Proficiency Test of Four Salmonella Antibody ELISA-Tests for their Harmonization

The paper describes the necessity to only use tests for national salmonella monitoring and reduction programmes that are “harmonized”, i.e. that produce at least at herd level the same results. Four in Germany licensed tests were audited in a proficiency test by four independent and neutral laboratories. The test was designed rather to harmonize the tests, if necessary, than to evaluate the single tests. The methods used to provide a high credibility for the proficiency test’s outcome are explained. The conclusion of the ring test is that three of the four tests can be used for the salmonella monitoring programme in Germany as long as not single results are compared to each other, but the results of sets of sera are used for the herd categorization for their risk level of introducing Salmonella spec. into the food chain

Existence of families of spacetimes with a Newtonian limit

J\"urgen Ehlers developed \emph{frame theory} to better understand the relationship between general relativity and Newtonian gravity. Frame theory contains a parameter $\lambda$, which can be thought of as $1/c^2$, where $c$ is the speed of light. By construction, frame theory is equivalent to general relativity for $\lambda >0$, and reduces to Newtonian gravity for $\lambda =0$. Moreover, by setting \ep=\sqrt{\lambda}, frame theory provides a framework to study the Newtonian limit \ep \searrow 0 (i.e. $c\to \infty$). A number of ideas relating to frame theory that were introduced by J\"urgen have subsequently found important applications to the rigorous study of both the Newtonian limit and post-Newtonian expansions. In this article, we review frame theory and discuss, in a non-technical fashion, some of the rigorous results on the Newtonian limit and post-Newtonian expansions that have followed from J\"urgen's work

Orbits in the Field of a Gravitating Magnetic Monopole

Orbits of test particles and light rays are an important tool to study the properties of space-time metrics. Here we systematically study the properties of the gravitational field of a globally regular magnetic monopole in terms of the geodesics of test particles and light. The gravitational field depends on two dimensionless parameters, defined as ratios of the characteristic mass scales present. For critical values of these parameters the resulting metric coefficients develop a singular behavior, which has profound influence on the properties of the resulting space-time and which is clearly reflected in the orbits of the test particles and light rays.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for publication in GR

Wavefronts, Caustic Sheets, and Caustic Surfing in Gravitational Lensing

Very little attention has been paid to the properties of optical wavefronts and caustic surfaces due to gravitational lensing. Yet the wavefront-based point of view is natural and provides insights into the nature of the caustic surfaces on a gravitationally lensed lightcone. We derive analytically the basic equations governing the wavefronts, lightcones, caustics on wavefronts, and caustic surfaces on lightcones in the context of weak-field, thin-screen gravitational lensing. These equations are all related to the potential of the lens. In the process, we also show that the standard single-plane gravitational lensing map extends to a new mapping, which we call a wavefront lensing map. Unlike the standard lensing map, the Jacobian matrix of a wavefront lensing map is not symmetric. Our formulas are then applied to caustic ``surfing.'' By surfing a caustic surface, a space-borne telescope can be fixed on a gravitationally lensed source to obtain an observation of the source at very high magnification over an extended time period, revealing structure about the source that could not otherwise be resolved. Using our analytical expressions for caustic sheets, we present a scheme for surfing a caustic sheet of a lensed source in rectilinear motion. Detailed illustrations are also presented of the possible types of wavefronts and caustic sheets due to nonsingular and singular elliptical potentials, and singular isothermal spheres, including an example of caustic surfing for a singular elliptical potential lens.Comment: To appear in J. Math. Phys., 31 pages, 15 figure