Successful Re-establishment of a Native Savannah Flora and Fauna on the Site of a Former Pine Plantation at Constance Bay, Ottawa, Ontario

To determine the extent of successful restoration of native savanna vegetation at The Sandhills, an unusual and biodiversity-rich habitat in the Ottawa Valley, we gathered information from quadrats along transects so as to compare a restored clearing with the surrounding plantation. We provide an indication of success with respect to amount of effort and provide an example of some considerations and procedures for estimating success. With a minimum effort of tree cutting and bulldozing, removal of pine duff and litter, that is estimated to have required five people over a period of less than two weeks, a hectare was successfully restored to pre-settlement savannah vegetation. Apart from a limited seeding effort following the removal of planted trees, the re-establishment of native vegetation proceeded naturally, and it was likely aided by dispersal of seed from adjacent remnant vegetation along paths and firebreaks in the vicinity. Biodiversity, based on number of species and various indices, was substantially greater in the restored clearing than in the adjacent Red Pine platation. The semi-open Jack Pine plantation accommodated species of both shaded and open habitats and diversity approached that of the clearing. However, some species such as blueberry were in poor condition in the plantation, generally not producing flowers or fruit. In addition the non-dominant vegetation was much less of the cover. In the restored area there were more regionally rare species and much greater development of flowering herbaceous species and shrubs. Orthopteran insects, a useful indicator group of plant feeding species, had much higher diversity and abundance in the restored area. Savannah and natural sand barren that have been largely destroyed by plantation forestry can be restored successfully and inexpensively, and there is thus no reason why such restorations should not include large areas and be implemented widely. Among the tools for evaluating success are historical descriptions and various measures of biodiversity and vegetation condition

Infrared heterodyne spectroscopy of astronomical and laboratory sources at 8.5 micron

The first infrared heterodyne spectrometer using tuneable semiconductor (PbSe) diode lasers has been constructed and was used near 8.5 micron to measure absorption line profiles of N2O in the laboratory and black body emission from the Moon and from Mars. Spectral information was recorded over a 200 MHz bandwidth using an 8-channel filter bank. The resolution was 25 MHz and the minimum detectable (black body) power was 1 x 10 to the minus 16th power watts for 8 minutes of integration. The results demonstrate the usefulness of heterodyne spectroscopy for the study of remote and local sources in the infrared

Квадратичний детектор струму на основі магніторезистивного елементу

The quadratic detector of current has been considered. The ferromagnetic tape is the base of quadratic detector. Relations between structure and physical effects in tape have been analyzed. The law of quadratic dependence has been deduced. This law allows us to get more accurate results of detection.Рассмотрен квадратичный детектор тока, в основе которого лежит ферромагнитная пленка. Проанализирована связь между структурой пленки и физическими явлениями в ней. Выведен закон квадратичной зависимости тока, что позволяет добиться болем точных результатов детектирования.Розглянуто квадратичний детектор струму на основі феромагнітної плівки. Проаналізовано зв'язок між її структурою та фізичними явищами. Виведений закон квадратичної залежності струму, що надає більш точні результати детектування

Models of the SL9 Impacts II. Radiative-hydrodynamic Modeling of the Plume Splashback

We model the plume "splashback" phase of the SL9 collisions with Jupiter using the ZEUS-3D hydrodynamic code. We modified the Zeus code to include gray radiative transport, and we present validation tests. We couple the infalling mass and momentum fluxes of SL9 plume material (from paper I) to a jovian atmospheric model. A strong and complex shock structure results. The modeled shock temperatures agree well with observations, and the structure and evolution of the modeled shocks account for the appearance of high excitation molecular line emission after the peak of the continuum light curve. The splashback region cools by radial expansion as well as by radiation. The morphology of our synthetic continuum light curves agree with observations over a broad wavelength range (0.9 to 12 microns). A feature of our ballistic plume is a shell of mass at the highest velocities, which we term the "vanguard". Portions of the vanguard ejected on shallow trajectories produce a lateral shock front, whose initial expansion accounts for the "third precursors" seen in the 2-micron light curves of the larger impacts, and for hot methane emission at early times. Continued propagation of this lateral shock approximately reproduces the radii, propagation speed, and centroid positions of the large rings observed at 3-4 microns by McGregor et al. The portion of the vanguard ejected closer to the vertical falls back with high z-component velocities just after maximum light, producing CO emission and the "flare" seen at 0.9 microns. The model also produces secondary maxima ("bounces") whose amplitudes and periods are in agreement with observations.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures (figs 3 and 4 in color), accepted for Ap.J. latex, version including full figures at: http://oobleck.tn.cornell.edu/jh/ast/papers/slplume2-20.ps.g

Research into ultrasonic and hydrodynamic cavitation phenomena in a hydraulic system

У статті описано процеси ультразвукової кавітації в гідравлічному резервуарі та гідродинамічної кавітації у шестеренному насосі. Виникнення зазначених процесів підтверджено експериментальними дослідженнями при використанні резервуара і насоса з прозорої пластмаси. Доведено, що кавітаційна система, створена за оригінальним проектом, є корисною для генерування явища ультразвукової кавітації. Також показано, що метод PIV-візуалізації, який полягає в спеціальному освітленні прозорих об'єктів і записи структури потоку крізь ці об'єкти за допомогою швидкісної відеокамери, при вивченні явища кавітації досить ефективний. Візуально встановлено взаємодію ультразвуку та гідродинамічної кавітації. У свою чергу, виникнення ультразвукової кавітації в резервуарі викликає дегазацію масла, що подається в насос, яке зменшує гидродинамическую кавітацію у внутрішніх каналах і зазорах. Це свідчить про позитивний вплив ультразвукової кавітації на роботу насоса та гідравлічної системи в цілому. Представлена робота є прикладом ефективної співпраці між дослідниками Вроцлавського університету науки і технологій (Польська Республіка) і Національного технічного університету України “Київського політехнічного інституту імені Ігоря Сікорського”.The article describes the course of the ultrasonic cavitation in a hydraulic tank and the hydrodynamic cavitation in a gear pump. The course of those phenomena was confirmed in experimental tests carried out with the use of a tank and a pump made of transparent plastics. It has been proved that the oscillator-cavitation system made according to the original project is useful to in-duce the phenomenon of ultrasonic cavitation. It has also been shown that the PIV visualization method, consisting in a special sys-tem of illuminating transparent objects and recording the flow through those objects with a fast camera, is useful for the studying of the cavitation phenomena. A visible interaction between the ultrasonic and the hydrodynamic cavitation was observed. The induction of ultrasonic cavitation in the tank causes degassing of the oil, and the degassed oil supplying the pump reduces the hydrodynamic cavitation in its internal channels and clearances. This is an example of beneficial effects of the ultrasonic cavitation on the operation of a pump and a hy-draulic system. The presented work is an example of effective co-operation between the communities of Wroclaw University of Science and Technol-ogy and Igor Sikorsky Kiyv Politechnic Institute, National Technical University of Ukraine.В статье описываются процессы ультразвуковой кавитации в гидравлическом резервуаре и гидродинамической кавитации в шестеренном насосе. Возникновение указанных процессов подтверждено экспериментальными исследованиями при использовании резервуара и насоса из прозрачной пластмассы. Доказано, что кавитационная система, созданная по оригинальному проекту, полезна для генерирования явления ультразвуковой кавитации. Также показано, что метод PIV-визуализации, который заключается в специальном освещении прозрачных объектов и записи структуры потока через эти объекты с помощью скоростной видео камеры, при изучении явления кавитации весьма эффективен. Визуально установлено взаимодействие ультразвука и гидродинамической кавитации. В свою очередь, возникновение ультразвуковой кавитации в резервуаре вызывает дегазацию масла, подаваемого в насос, которое уменьшает гидродинамическую к авитацию во внутренних каналах и зазорах. Это свидетельствует о положительном воздействииу льтразвуковой кавитации на работу насоса и гидравлической системы в целом. Представленная работа является примером эффективного сотрудничества между исследователями Вроцлавского университета науки и технологий (Польская Республика) и Национального технического университета Украины “Киевского политехнического института имени Игоря Сикорского”

Observation of an Excited Bc+ State

Using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.5 fb-1 recorded by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of s=7, 8, and 13 TeV, the observation of an excited Bc+ state in the Bc+π+π- invariant-mass spectrum is reported. The observed peak has a mass of 6841.2±0.6(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, where the last uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the Bc+ mass. It is consistent with expectations of the Bc∗(2S31)+ state reconstructed without the low-energy photon from the Bc∗(1S31)+→Bc+γ decay following Bc∗(2S31)+→Bc∗(1S31)+π+π-. A second state is seen with a global (local) statistical significance of 2.2σ (3.2σ) and a mass of 6872.1±1.3(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, and is consistent with the Bc(2S10)+ state. These mass measurements are the most precise to date

Scientific Rationale of Saturn's In Situ Exploration

Remote sensing observations meet some limitations when used to study the bulk atmospheric composition of the giant planets of our solar system. A remarkable example of the superiority of in situ probe measurements is illustratedby the exploration of Jupiter, where key measurements such as the determination of the noble gases abundances and the precise measurement of the helium mixing ratio have only been made available through in situ measurements by the Galileo probe. This paper describes the main scienti-c goals to be addressed by the future in situ exploration of Saturn placing the Galileo probe exploration of Jupiter in a broader context and before the future probe exploration of the more remote ice giants. In situ exploration of Saturn's atmosphere addresses two broad themes that are discussedthroughout this paper : rst, the formation history of our solar system and second, the processes at play in planetary atmospheres. In this context, we detail the reasons why measurements of Saturn's bulk elemental and isotopiccomposition would place important constraints on the volatile reservoirs in the protosolar nebula. We also show that the in situ measurement of CO (or any other disequilibrium species that is depleted by reaction with water) in Saturn's upper troposphere may help constraining its bulk OH ratio. We compare predictions of Jupiter and Saturn's bulk compositions from different formation scenarios, and highlight the key measurements required to distinguish competing theories to shed light on giant planet formation as a common process in planetary systems with potential applications to mostextrasolar systems. In situ measurements of Saturn's stratospheric and tropospheric dynamics, chemistry and cloud-forming processes will provide access to phenomena unreachable to remote sensing studies. Dierent mission architectures are envisaged, which would benet from strong international collaborations, all based on an entry probe that would descend through Saturn's stratosphere and troposphere under parachute down to a minimum of 10 bars of atmospheric pressure. We rally discuss the science payload required on a Saturn probe to match the measurement requirements

A pulsating auroral X-ray hot spot on Jupiter

Jupiter's X-ray aurora has been thought to be excited by energetic sulphur and oxygen ions precipitating from the inner magnetosphere into the planet's polar regions(1-3). Here we report high-spatial-resolution observations that demonstrate that most of Jupiter's northern auroral X-rays come from a 'hot spot' located significantly poleward of the latitudes connected to the inner magnetosphere. The hot spot seems to be fixed in magnetic latitude and longitude and occurs in a region where anomalous infrared(4-7) and ultraviolet(8) emissions have also been observed. We infer from the data that the particles that excite the aurora originate in the outer magnetosphere. The hot spot X-rays pulsate with an approximately 45-min period, a period similar to that reported for high-latitude radio and energetic electron bursts observed by near-Jupiter spacecraft(9,10). These results invalidate the idea that jovian auroral X-ray emissions are mainly excited by steady precipitation of energetic heavy ions from the inner magnetosphere. Instead, the X-rays seem to result from currently unexplained processes in the outer magnetosphere that produce highly localized and highly variable emissions over an extremely wide range of wavelengths.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/62624/1/4151000a.pd

Observation of the Decay Λ0b→Λ+cτ−¯ν

The first observation of the semileptonic b-baryon decay Λb0→Λc+τ-ν¯τ, with a significance of 6.1σ, is reported using a data sample corresponding to 3 fb-1 of integrated luminosity, collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV at the LHC. The τ- lepton is reconstructed in the hadronic decay to three charged pions. The ratio K=B(Λb0→Λc+τ-ν¯τ)/B(Λb0→Λc+π-π+π-) is measured to be 2.46±0.27±0.40, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The branching fraction B(Λb0→Λc+τ-ν¯τ)=(1.50±0.16±0.25±0.23)% is obtained, where the third uncertainty is from the external branching fraction of the normalization channel Λb0→Λc+π-π+π-. The ratio of semileptonic branching fractions R(Λc+)B(Λb0→Λc+τ-ν¯τ)/B(Λb0→Λc+μ-ν¯μ) is derived to be 0.242±0.026±0.040±0.059, where the external branching fraction uncertainty from the channel Λb0→Λc+μ-ν¯μ contributes to the last term. This result is in agreement with the standard model prediction