Percolation and epidemics in a two-dimensional small world

Percolation on two-dimensional small-world networks has been proposed as a model for the spread of plant diseases. In this paper we give an analytic solution of this model using a combination of generating function methods and high-order series expansion. Our solution gives accurate predictions for quantities such as the position of the percolation threshold and the typical size of disease outbreaks as a function of the density of "shortcuts" in the small-world network. Our results agree with scaling hypotheses and numerical simulations for the same model.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 2 table

Time-distance analysis of the emerging active region NOAA 10790

We investigate the emergence of Active Region NOAA 10790 by means of time – distance helioseismology. Shallow regions of increased sound speed at the location of increased magnetic activity are observed, with regions becoming deeper at the locations of sunspot pores. We also see a long-lasting region of decreased sound speed located underneath the region of the flux emergence, possibly relating to a temperature perturbation due to magnetic quenching of eddy diffusivity, or to a dense flux tube. We detect and track an object in the subsurface layers of the Sun characterised by increased sound speed which could be related to emerging magnetic-flux and thus obtain a provisional estimate of the speed of emergence of around 1 km s−1

Subsurface nitrate reduction under wetlands takes place in narrow superficial zones

This study aims to investigate the depth distribution of the Nitrate Reduction Potential (NRP) on a natural and a re-established wetland. The obtained NRP provides a valuable data of the driving factors affecting denitrification, the Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium (DNRA) process and the performance of a re-established wetland. Intact soil cores were collected and divided in slices for the determination of Organic Matter (OM) through Loss of Ignition (LOI) as well as Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) and NRP spiking nitrate in batch tests. The Nitrate Reduction (NR) was fitted as a pseudo-first order rate constant (k) from where NRPs were obtained. NR took place in a narrow superficial zone showing a dropping natural logarithmic trend along depth. The main driving factor of denitrification, besides depth, was OM. Although, DOC and LOI could not express by themselves and absolute correlation with NRP, high amounts of DOC ensured enough quantity and quality of labile OM for NR. Besides, high concentration of LOI but a scarce abundance of DOC failed to drive NR. DNRA was only important in superficial samples with high contents of OM. Lastly, the high NRP of the re-established wetland confirms that wetlands can be restored satisfactorily.Preprin

Search for the Rare Decay KL --> pi0 ee

The KTeV/E799 experiment at Fermilab has searched for the rare kaon decay KL--> pi0ee. This mode is expected to have a significant CP violating component. The measurement of its branching ratio could support the Standard Model or could indicate the existence of new physics. This letter reports new results from the 1999-2000 data set. One event is observed with an expected background at 0.99 +/- 0.35 events. We set a limit on the branching ratio of 3.5 x 10^(-10) at the 90% confidence level. Combining the results with the dataset taken in 1997 yields the final KTeV result: BR(KL --> pi0 ee) < 2.8 x 10^(-10) at 90% CL.Comment: 4 pages, three figure

Can induced gravity isotropize Bianchi I, V, or IX Universes?

We analyze if Bianchi I, V, and IX models in the Induced Gravity (IG) theory can evolve to a Friedmann--Roberson--Walker (FRW) expansion due to the non--minimal coupling of gravity and the scalar field. The analytical results that we found for the Brans-Dicke (BD) theory are now applied to the IG theory which has $\omega \ll 1$ ($\omega$ being the square ratio of the Higgs to Planck mass) in a cosmological era in which the IG--potential is not significant. We find that the isotropization mechanism crucially depends on the value of $\omega$. Its smallness also permits inflationary solutions. For the Bianch V model inflation due to the Higgs potential takes place afterwads, and subsequently the spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) ends with an effective FRW evolution. The ordinary tests of successful cosmology are well satisfied.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. D1

Population dynamics in compressible flows

Organisms often grow, migrate and compete in liquid environments, as well as on solid surfaces. However, relatively little is known about what happens when competing species are mixed and compressed by fluid turbulence. In these lectures we review our recent work on population dynamics and population genetics in compressible velocity fields of one and two dimensions. We discuss why compressible turbulence is relevant for population dynamics in the ocean and we consider cases both where the velocity field is turbulent and when it is static. Furthermore, we investigate populations in terms of a continuos density field and when the populations are treated via discrete particles. In the last case we focus on the competition and fixation of one species compared to anotherComment: 16 pages, talk delivered at the Geilo Winter School 201

Three-body structure of low-lying 18Ne states

We investigate to what extent 18Ne can be descibed as a three-body system made of an inert 16O-core and two protons. We compare to experimental data and occasionally to shell model results. We obtain three-body wave functions with the hyperspherical adiabatic expansion method. We study the spectrum of 18Ne, the structure of the different states and the predominant transition strengths. Two 0+, two 2+, and one 4+ bound states are found where they are all known experimentally. Also one 3+ close to threshold is found and several negative parity states, 1-, 3-, 0-, 2-, most of them bound with respect to the 16O excited 3- state. The structures are extracted as partial wave components, as spatial sizes of matter and charge, and as probability distributions. Electromagnetic decay rates are calculated for these states. The dominating decay mode for the bound states is E2 and occasionally also M1.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures (version to appear in EPJA

Benchmark Test Calculation of a Four-Nucleon Bound State

In the past, several efficient methods have been developed to solve the Schroedinger equation for four-nucleon bound states accurately. These are the Faddeev-Yakubovsky, the coupled-rearrangement-channel Gaussian-basis variational, the stochastic variational, the hyperspherical variational, the Green's function Monte Carlo, the no-core shell model and the effective interaction hyperspherical harmonic methods. In this article we compare the energy eigenvalue results and some wave function properties using the realistic AV8' NN interaction. The results of all schemes agree very well showing the high accuracy of our present ability to calculate the four-nucleon bound state.Comment: 17 pages, 1 figure