3,427 research outputs found
Constraints on SN Ia progenitor time delays from high-z SNe and the star formation history
We re-assess the question of a systematic time delay between the formation of
the progenitor and its explosion in a type Ia supernova (SN Ia) using the
Hubble Higher-z Supernova Search sample (Strolger et al. 2004). While the
previous analysis indicated a significant time delay, with a most likely value
of 3.4 Gyr, effectively ruling out all previously proposed progenitor models,
our analysis shows that the time-delay estimate is dominated by systematic
errors, in particular due to uncertainties in the star-formation history. We
find that none of the popular progenitor models under consideration can be
ruled out with any significant degree of confidence. The inferred time delay is
mainly determined by the peak in the assumed star-formation history. We show
that, even with a much larger Supernova sample, the time delay distribution
cannot be reliably reconstructed without better constraints on the
star-formation history.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRA
Mol. Cell. Proteomics
Chemical cross-linking in combination with mass spectrometric analysis offers the potential to obtain low-resolution structural information from proteins and protein complexes. Identification of peptides connected by a cross-link provides direct evidence for the physical interaction of amino acid side chains, information that can be used for computational modeling purposes. Despite impressive advances that were made in recent years, the number of experimentally observed cross-links still falls below the number of possible contacts of cross-linkable side chains within the span of the cross-linker. Here, we propose two complementary experimental strategies to expand cross-linking data sets. First, enrichment of cross-linked peptides by size exclusion chromatography selects cross-linked peptides based on their higher molecular mass, thereby depleting the majority of unmodified peptides present in proteolytic digests of cross-linked samples. Second, we demonstrate that the use of proteases in addition to trypsin, such as Asp-N, can additionally boost the number of observable cross-linking sites. The benefits of both SEC enrichment and multiprotease digests are demonstrated on a set of model proteins and the improved workflow is applied to the characterization of the 20S proteasome from rabbit and Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Detection of TeV emission from the intriguing composite SNR G327.1-1.1
The shock wave of supernova remnants (SNRs) and the wind termination shock in
pulsar wind nebula (PWNe) are considered as prime candidates to accelerate the
bulk of Galactic cosmic ray (CR) ions and electrons. The SNRs hosting a PWN
(known as composite SNRs) provide excellent laboratories to test these
hypotheses. The SNR G327.1-1.1 belongs to this category and exhibits a shell
and a bright central PWN, both seen in radio and X-rays. Interestingly, the
radio observations of the PWN show an extended blob of emission and a curious
narrow finger structure pointing towards the offset compact X-ray source
indicating a possible fast moving pulsar in the SNR and/or an asymmetric
passage of the reverse shock. We report here on the observations, for a total
of 45 hours, of the SNR G327.1-1.1 with the H.E.S.S. telescope array which
resulted in the detection of TeV gamma-ray emission in spatial coincidence with
the PWN.Comment: Proceeding of the 32nd ICRC, August 11-18 2011, Beijing, Chin
Spin fluctuations with two-dimensional XY behavior in a frustrated S = 1/2 square-lattice ferromagnet
The spin dynamics of the layered square-lattice vanadate Pb2VO(PO4)2 is
investigated by electron spin resonance at various magnetic fields and at
temperatures above magnetic ordering. The linewidth divergence towards low
temperatures seems to agree with isotropic Heisenberg-type spin exchange
suggesting that the spin relaxation in this quasi-two dimensional compound is
governed by low-dimensional quantum fluctuations. However, a weak easy- plane
anisotropy of the g factor points to the presence of a planar XY type of
exchange. Indeed, we found that the linewidth divergence is described best by
XY-like spin fluctuations which requires a single parameter only. Therefore,
ESR-probed spin dynamics could establish Pb2VO(PO4)2 as the first frustrated
square lattice system with XY-inherent spin topological fluctuations.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Theory and simulations of rigid polyelectrolytes
We present theoretical and numerical studies on stiff, linear
polyelectrolytes within the framework of the cell model. We first review
analytical results obtained on a mean-field Poisson-Boltzmann level, and then
use molecular dynamics simulations to show, under which circumstances these
fail quantitatively and qualitatively. For the hexagonally packed nematic phase
of the polyelectrolytes we compute the osmotic coefficient as a function of
density. In the presence of multivalent counterions it can become negative,
leading to effective attractions. We show that this results from a reduced
contribution of the virial part to the pressure. We compute the osmotic
coefficient and ionic distribution functions from Poisson-Boltzmann theory with
and without a recently proposed correlation correction, and also simulation
results for the case of poly(para-phenylene) and compare it to recently
obtained experimental data on this stiff polyelectrolyte. We also investigate
ion-ion correlations in the strong coupling regime, and compare them to
predictions of the recently advocated Wigner crystal theories.Comment: 32 pages, 15 figures, proceedings of the ASTATPHYS-MEX-2001, to be
published in Mol. Phy
K+ and K- production in heavy-ion collisions at SIS-energies
The production and the propagation of K+ and of K- mesons in heavy-ion
collisions at beam energies of 1 to 2 AGeV have systematically been
investigated with the Kaon Spectrometer KaoS at the SIS at the GSI. The ratio
of the K+ production excitation function for Au+Au and for C+C reactions
increases with decreasing beam energy, which is expected for a soft nuclear
equation-of-state. At 1.5 AGeV a comprehensive study of the K+ and of the K-
emission as a function of the size of the collision system, of the collision
centrality, of the kaon energy, and of the polar emission angle has been
performed. The K-/K+ ratio is found to be nearly constant as a function of the
collision centrality. The spectral slopes and the polar emission patterns are
different for K- and for K+. These observations indicate that K+ mesons
decouple earlier from the reaction zone than K- mesons.Comment: invited talk given at the SQM2003 conference in Atlantic Beach, USA
(March 2003), to be published in Journal of Physics G, 10pages, 7 figure
Electrode-assisted acetoin production in a metabolically engineered Escherichia coli strain
Background
This paper describes the metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for the anaerobic fermentation of glucose to acetoin. Acetoin has well-established applications in industrial food production and was suggested to be a platform chemical for a bio-based economy. However, the biotechnological production is often hampered by the simultaneous formation of several end products in the absence of an electron acceptor. Moreover, typical production strains are often potentially pathogenic. The goal of this study was to overcome these limitations by establishing an electrode-assisted fermentation process in E. coli. Here, the surplus of electrons released in the production process is transferred to an electrode as anoxic and non-depletable electron acceptor.
Results
In a first step, the central metabolism was steered towards the production of pyruvate from glucose by deletion of genes encoding for enzymes of central reactions of the anaerobic carbon metabolism (ΔfrdA-D ΔadhE ΔldhA Δpta–ack). Thereafter, the genes for the acetolactate synthase (alsS) and the acetolactate decarboxylase (alsD) were expressed in this strain from a plasmid. Addition of nitrate as electron acceptor led to an anaerobic acetoin production with a yield of up to 0.9 mol acetoin per mol of glucose consumed (90% of the theoretical maximum). In a second step, the electron acceptor nitrate was replaced by a carbon electrode. This interaction necessitated the further expression of c-type cytochromes from Shewanella oneidensis and the addition of the soluble redox shuttle methylene blue. The interaction with the non-depletable electron acceptor led to an acetoin formation with a yield of 79% of the theoretical maximum (0.79 mol acetoin per mol glucose).
Conclusion
Electrode-assisted fermentations are a new strategy to produce substances of biotechnological value that are more oxidized than the substrates. Here, we show for the first time a process in which the commonly used chassis strain E. coli was tailored for an electrode-assisted fermentation approach branching off from the central metabolite pyruvate. At this early stage, we see promising results regarding carbon and electron recovery and will use further strain development to increase the anaerobic metabolic turnover rate
Spectroscopic study of the magnetic ground state of NbFe
We have investigated single crystals and polycrystals from the series
NbFe, by electron spin resonance,
muon spin relaxation and M\"ossbauer spectroscopy. Our data establish that at
lowest temperatures all samples exhibit bulk magnetic order. Slight Fe-excess
induces low-moment ferromagnetism, consistent with bulk magnetometry (), Nb--rich and stoichiometric NbFe display spin
density wave order with small magnetic moment amplitudes of the order . This provides microscopic evidence for a
modulated magnetic state on the border of ferromagnetism in NbFe.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figure
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