Free surface flows with large slopes: beyond lubrication theory

The description of free surface flows can often be simplified to thin film (or lubrication) equations, when the slopes of the liquid-gas interface are small. Here we present a long wavelength theory that remains fully quantitative for steep interface slopes, by expanding about Stokes flow in a wedge. For small capillary numbers, the variations of the interface slope are slow and can be treated perturbatively. This geometry occurs naturally for flows with contact lines: we quantify the difference with ordinary lubrication theory through a numerical example and analytically recover the full Cox-Voinov asymptotic solution.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

A Survey About Nothing: Monitoring a Million Supergiants for Failed Supernovae

Extragalactic transient searches have historically been limited to looking for the appearance of new sources such as supernovae. It is now possible to carry out a new kind of survey that will do the opposite, that is, search for the disappearance of massive stars. This will entail the systematic observation of galaxies within a distance of 10 Mpc in order to watch ~10^6 supergiants. Reaching this critical number ensures that something will occur yearly, since these massive stars must end their lives with a core collapse within ~10^6 years. Using deep imaging and image subtraction it is possible to determine the fates of these stars whether they end with a bang (supernova) or a whimper (fall out of sight). Such a survey would place completely new limits on the total rate of all core collapses, which is critical for determining the validity of supernova models. It would also determine the properties of supernova progenitors, better characterize poorly understood optical transients, such as eta Carina-like mass ejections, find and characterize large numbers of Cepheids, luminous blue variables and eclipsing binaries, and allow the discovery of any new phenomena that inhabit this relatively unexplored parameter space.Comment: final version, 7 pages, 5 figures, ApJ in pres

Void structure of O⁺ ions in the inner magnetosphere observed by the Van Allen Probes

The Van Allen Probes Helium Oxygen Proton Electron instrument observed a new type of enhancement of O⁺ ions in the inner magnetosphere during substorms. As the satellite moved outward in the premidnight sector, the flux of the O⁺ ions with energy ~10 keV appeared first in the energy-time spectrograms. Then, the enhancement of the flux spread toward high and low energies. The enhanced flux of the O⁺ ions with the highest energy remained, whereas the flux of the ions with lower energy vanished near apogee, forming what we call the void structure. The structure cannot be found in the H⁺ spectrogram. We studied the generation mechanism of this structure by using numerical simulation. We traced the trajectories of O⁺ ions in the electric and magnetic fields from the global magnetohydrodynamics simulation and calculated the flux of O⁺ ions in the inner magnetosphere in accordance with the Liouville theorem. The simulated spectrograms are well consistent with the ones observed by Van Allen Probes. We suggest the following processes. (1) When magnetic reconnection starts, an intensive equatorward and tailward plasma flow appears in the plasma lobe. (2) The flow transports plasma from the lobe to the plasma sheet where the radius of curvature of the magnetic field line is small. (3) The intensive dawn-dusk electric field transports the O⁺ ions earthward and accelerates them nonadiabatically to an energy threshold; (4) the void structure appears at energies below the threshold

Effector profiles distinguish <em>formae speciales</em> of <em>Fusarium oxysporum</em>

Formae speciales (ff.spp.) of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum are often polyphyletic within the species complex, making it impossible to identify them on the basis of conserved genes. However, sequences that determine host-specific pathogenicity may be expected to be similar between strains within the same forma specialis. Whole genome sequencing was performed on strains from five different ff.spp. (cucumerinum, niveum, melonis, radicis-cucumerinum and lycopersici). In each genome, genes for putative effectors were identified based on small size, secretion signal, and vicinity to a "miniature impala" transposable element. The candidate effector genes of all genomes were collected and the presence/absence patterns in each individual genome were clustered. Members of the same forma specialis turned out to group together, with cucurbit-infecting strains forming a supercluster separate from other ff.spp. Moreover, strains from different clonal lineages within the same forma specialis harbour identical effector gene sequences, supporting horizontal transfer of genetic material. These data offer new insight into the genetic basis of host specificity in the F. oxysporum species complex and show that (putative) effectors can be used to predict host specificity in F. oxysporum

Equilibrium Properties of Temporally Asymmetric Hebbian Plasticity

A theory of temporally asymmetric Hebb (TAH) rules which depress or potentiate synapses depending upon whether the postsynaptic cell fires before or after the presynaptic one is presented. Using the Fokker-Planck formalism, we show that the equilibrium synaptic distribution induced by such rules is highly sensitive to the manner in which bounds on the allowed range of synaptic values are imposed. In a biologically plausible multiplicative model, we find that the synapses in asynchronous networks reach a distribution that is invariant to the firing rates of either the pre- or post-synaptic cells. When these cells are temporally correlated, the synaptic strength varies smoothly with the degree and phase of synchrony between the cells.Comment: 3 figures, minor corrections of equations and tex

In situ observations from STEREO/PLASTIC: a test for L5 space weather monitors

Stream interaction regions (SIRs) that corotate with the Sun (corotating interaction regions, or CIRs) are known to cause recurrent geomagnetic storms. The Earth&apos;s L5 Lagrange point, separated from the Earth by 60 degrees in heliographic longitude, is a logical location for a solar wind monitor – nearly all SIRs/CIRs will be observed at L5 several days prior to their arrival at Earth. Because the Sun&apos;s heliographic equator is tilted about 7 degrees with respect to the ecliptic plane, the separation in heliographic latitude between L5 and Earth can be more than 5 degrees. In July 2008, during the period of minimal solar activity at the end of solar cycle 23, the two STEREO observatories were separated by about 60 degrees in longitude and more than 4 degrees in heliographic latitude. This time period affords a timely test for the practical application of a solar wind monitor at L5. We compare in situ observations from PLASTIC/AHEAD and PLASTIC/BEHIND, and report on how well the BEHIND data can be used as a forecasting tool for in situ conditions at the AHEAD spacecraft with the assumptions of ideal corotation and minimal source evolution. Preliminary results show the bulk proton parameters (density and bulk speed) are not in quantitative agreement from one observatory to the next, but the qualitative profiles are similar

Anisotropy of the Taylor Scale and the Correlation Scale in Plasma Sheet and Solar Wind Magnetic Field Fluctuations

Magnetic field data from nine spacecraft in the magnetospheric plasma sheet and the solar wind are employed to determine the correlation scale and the magnetic Taylor microscale from simultaneous multiple-point measurements for multiple intervals with a range of mean magnetic field directions. We have determined that in the solar wind the Taylor scale is independent of direction relative to the mean magnetic field, but the correlation scale along the mean magnetic field (2.7 106 ± 0.2 106 km) is longer than along the perpendicular direction (1.5 106 ± 0.1 106 km). Within the plasma sheet we found that the correlation scale varies from 16,400 ± 1000 km along the mean magnetic field direction to 9200 ± 600 km in the perpendicular direction. The Taylor scale is also longer parallel to the magnetic field (2900 ± 100 km) than perpendicular to it (1100 ± 100 km). In the solar wind the ratio of the parallel correlation scale to the perpendicular correlation scale is 2.62 ± 0.79; in the plasma sheet the ratio is 1.78 ± 0.16, which indicates that the turbulence in both regions is anisotropic. The correlation and Taylor scales may be used to estimate effective magnetic Reynolds numbers separately for each angular channel. Reynolds numbers were found to be approximately independent of the angle relative to the mean magnetic field. These results may be useful in magnetohydrodynamic modeling of the solar wind and the magnetosphere and can contribute to our understanding of solar and galactic cosmic ray diffusion in the heliosphere.Fil: Weygand, James M.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Matthaeus, W. H.. University of Delaware; Estados UnidosFil: Dasso, Sergio Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Kivelson, M.G.. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Kistler, L. M.. University of New Hampshire; Estados UnidosFil: Mouikis, C.. University of New Hampshire; Estados Unido

Exaptation traits for megafaunal Mutualisms as a factor in plant domestication

Megafaunal extinctions are recurring events that cause evolutionary ripples, as cascades of secondary extinctions and shifting selective pressures reshape ecosystems. Megafaunal browsers and grazers are major ecosystem engineers, they: keep woody vegetation suppressed; are nitrogen cyclers; and serve as seed dispersers. Most angiosperms possess sets of physiological traits that allow for the fixation of mutualisms with megafauna; some of these traits appear to serve as exaptation (preadaptation) features for farming. As an easily recognized example, fleshy fruits are, an exaptation to agriculture, as they evolved to recruit a non-human disperser. We hypothesize that the traits of rapid annual growth, self-compatibility, heavy investment in reproduction, high plasticity (wide reaction norms), and rapid evolvability were part of an adaptive syndrome for megafaunal seed dispersal. We review the evolutionary importance that megafauna had for crop and weed progenitors and discuss possible ramifications of their extinction on: (1) seed dispersal; (2) population dynamics; and (3) habitat loss. Humans replaced some of the ecological services that had been lost as a result of late Quaternary extinctions and drove rapid evolutionary change resulting in domestication.Introduction Lost Seed-Dispersal Services - Small-Seeded Grains and Legumes - Large Fleshy Fruiting Plants Loss of Herbivory and Disturbance Regimes Plant Domestication - Exaptation Traits Supporting Domestication Anthropogenic Ecosystem Service