1,839 research outputs found
The low-mass diskless population of Corona Australis
We combine published optical and near-infrared photometry to identify new low-mass candidate members in an area of about 0.64 deg^2 in Corona Australis with the S-parameter method. Five new candidate members of the region are selected. They have estimated ages between 3 and 15 Myr and masses between 0.05 and 0.15 M_⊙. With Spitzer photometry we confirm that these objects are not surrounded by optically thick disks. However, one of them is found to display excess at 24 μm, thus suggesting it harbors a disk with an inner hole. With an estimated mass of 0.07 M_⊙ according to the SED fitting, this is one of the lowest-mass objects reported to possess a transitional disk. Including these new members, the fraction of disks is about 50% among the total Corona Australis population selected by the same criteria, lower than the 70% fraction reported earlier for this region. Even so, we find a ratio of transitional to primordial disks (45%) very similar to the value derived by previous authors. This ratio is higher than for solar-type stars (5–10%), suggesting that disk evolution is faster in the latter, and/or that the “transitional disk” stage is not such a short-lived step for very low-mass objects. However, this impression needs to be confirmed with better statistics
Experimental demonstration of a graph state quantum error-correction code
Scalable quantum computing and communication requires the protection of
quantum information from the detrimental effects of decoherence and noise.
Previous work tackling this problem has relied on the original circuit model
for quantum computing. However, recently a family of entangled resources known
as graph states has emerged as a versatile alternative for protecting quantum
information. Depending on the graph's structure, errors can be detected and
corrected in an efficient way using measurement-based techniques. In this
article we report an experimental demonstration of error correction using a
graph state code. We have used an all-optical setup to encode quantum
information into photons representing a four-qubit graph state. We are able to
reliably detect errors and correct against qubit loss. The graph we have
realized is setup independent, thus it could be employed in other physical
settings. Our results show that graph state codes are a promising approach for
achieving scalable quantum information processing
Relativistic Jets from Collapsars
We have studied the relativistic beamed outflow proposed to occur in the
collapsar model of gamma-ray bursts. A jet forms as a consequence of an assumed
energy deposition of erg/s within a cone
around the rotation axis of the progenitor star. The generated jet flow is
strongly beamed (\la few degrees) and reaches the surface of the stellar
progenitor (r cm) intact. At break-out the maximum Lorentz
factor of the jet flow is about 33. Simulations have been performed with the
GENESIS multi-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamic code.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the conference
"Godunov methods: theory and applications", Oxford, October 199
Calculation of biomass volume of citrus trees from an adapted dendrometry
A methodology and computational algorithms, to calculate volumes and the total biomass contained in citrus trees from an adapted dendrometry were developed. The methodology could be used as a tool to manage resources from the orchards, establishing adequate predictive models for assessing parameters such as income from raw materials for the cultivation, fruit production, CO2 sink, and waste materials (i.e. residual wood) used for energy or industry. Dendrometry has been traditionally applied to forest trees. However, little research has been conducted on fruit trees due to their heterogeneous structure. To develop the process of biomass quantification it was necessary to perform systems of measurement, enabling to determine volumes of the analysed trees. Firstly, form factors and volume functions for the branches were calculated. These volume functions gave 0.97 coefficient of determination from base diameter and length. The relationships between apparent crown volume and actual volume in the crown (i.e. no hollows) of the trees were established, with 0.80 coefficient of determination. Occupation factor and the distribution of biomass in the crown strata were evaluated. These results could be correlated with production and quality of the fruit, with the amount of residual biomass coming from pruning, and with LIDAR data what may produce a simple, quick and accurate way to predict biomass.This research were developed by the project AGL2010-15334 funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain funds.Velázquez Martí, B.; Estornell Cremades, J.; López Cortés, I.; Marti Gavila, J. (2012). Calculation of biomass volume of citrus trees from an adapted dendrometry. Biosystems Engineering. 112(4):285-292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2012.04.011S285292112
Estimation of wood volume and height of olive tree plantations using airborne discrete-return LiDAR data
The aim of this study is to analyze methodologies based on airborne LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology of low pulse density points (0.5m(-2)) for height and volume quantification of olive trees in Viver (Spain). A total of 29 circular plots, each with a radius of 20m, were sampled and their volumes and heights were obtained by dendrometric methods. For these estimations, several statistics derived from LiDAR data were calculated in each plot. Regression models were used to predict volume and height. The results showed good performance for estimating volume (R-2=0.70) and total height (R-2=0.67).The authors appreciate the financial support provided by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (Ministry for Science & Innovation) within the framework of the project AGL2010-15334 and by the Vice-Rectorate for Research of the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia [Grant PAID-06-12-3297; SP20120534].Estornell Cremades, J.; Velázquez Martí, B.; López Cortés, I.; Salazar Hernández, DM.; Fernández-Sarría, A. (2014). Estimation of wood volume and height of olive tree plantations using airborne discrete-return LiDAR data. GIScience and Remote Sensing. 51(1):17-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/15481603.2014.883209S1729511Estornell, J., Ruiz, L. A., Velázquez-Martí, B., & Fernández-Sarría, A. (2011). Estimation of shrub biomass by airborne LiDAR data in small forest stands. Forest Ecology and Management, 262(9), 1697-1703. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2011.07.026García, M., Riaño, D., Chuvieco, E., & Danson, F. M. (2010). Estimating biomass carbon stocks for a Mediterranean forest in central Spain using LiDAR height and intensity data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 114(4), 816-830. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2009.11.021Hyyppa, J., Kelle, O., Lehikoinen, M., & Inkinen, M. (2001). A segmentation-based method to retrieve stem volume estimates from 3-D tree height models produced by laser scanners. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 39(5), 969-975. doi:10.1109/36.921414Kim, Y., Yang, Z., Cohen, W. B., Pflugmacher, D., Lauver, C. L., & Vankat, J. L. (2009). Distinguishing between live and dead standing tree biomass on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, USA using small-footprint lidar data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 113(11), 2499-2510. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2009.07.010Moorthy, I., Miller, J. R., Berni, J. A. J., Zarco-Tejada, P., Hu, B., & Chen, J. (2011). Field characterization of olive (Olea europaea L.) tree crown architecture using terrestrial laser scanning data. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 151(2), 204-214. doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2010.10.005Næsset, E. (2004). Accuracy of forest inventory using airborne laser scanning: evaluating the first nordic full-scale operational project. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 19(6), 554-557. doi:10.1080/02827580410019544Popescu, S. C. (2007). Estimating biomass of individual pine trees using airborne lidar. Biomass and Bioenergy, 31(9), 646-655. doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2007.06.022Popescu, S. C., Wynne, R. H., & Nelson, R. F. (2002). Estimating plot-level tree heights with lidar: local filtering with a canopy-height based variable window size. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 37(1-3), 71-95. doi:10.1016/s0168-1699(02)00121-7Velázquez-Martí, B., Estornell, J., López-Cortés, I., & Martí-Gavilá, J. (2012). Calculation of biomass volume of citrus trees from an adapted dendrometry. Biosystems Engineering, 112(4), 285-292. doi:10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2012.04.011Velázquez-Martí, B., Fernández-González, E., Estornell, J., & Ruiz, L. A. (2010). Dendrometric and dasometric analysis of the bushy biomass in Mediterranean forests. Forest Ecology and Management, 259(5), 875-882. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2009.11.027Velázquez-Martí, B., Fernández-González, E., López-Cortés, I., & Salazar-Hernández, D. M. (2011). Quantification of the residual biomass obtained from pruning of trees in Mediterranean olive groves. Biomass and Bioenergy, 35(7), 3208-3217. doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2011.04.042Yu, X., Hyyppä, J., Kaartinen, H., & Maltamo, M. (2004). Automatic detection of harvested trees and determination of forest growth using airborne laser scanning. Remote Sensing of Environment, 90(4), 451-462. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2004.02.00
Primeval very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs - IV. New L subdwarfs, Gaia astrometry, population properties, and a blue brown dwarf binary
30 pages, 23 figuresWe present 27 new L subdwarfs and classify five of them as esdL and 22 as sdL. Our L subdwarf candidates were selected with the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey and Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Spectroscopic follow-up was carried out primarily with the OSIRIS spectrograph on the Gran Telescopio Canarias. Some of these new objects were followed up with the X-shooter instrument on the Very Large Telescope. We studied the photometric properties of the population of known L subdwarfs using colour-spectral type diagrams and colour-colour diagrams, by comparison with L dwarfs and main-sequence stars, and identified new colour spaces for L subdwarf selection/study in current and future surveys. We further discussed the brown dwarf transition-zone and the observational stellar/substellar boundary. We found that about one-third of 66 known L subdwarfs are substellar objects, with two-thirds being very low-mass stars. We also present the Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams, spectral type-absolute magnitude corrections, and tangential velocities of 20 known L subdwarfs observed by the Gaia astrometry satellite. One of our L subdwarf candidates, ULAS J233227.03+123452.0, is a mildly metal-poor spectroscopic binary brown dwarf: a ~L6p dwarf and a ~T4p dwarf. This binary is likely a thick disc member according to its kinematics.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio
Three Dimensional Numerical General Relativistic Hydrodynamics I: Formulations, Methods, and Code Tests
This is the first in a series of papers on the construction and validation of
a three-dimensional code for general relativistic hydrodynamics, and its
application to general relativistic astrophysics. This paper studies the
consistency and convergence of our general relativistic hydrodynamic treatment
and its coupling to the spacetime evolutions described by the full set of
Einstein equations with a perfect fluid source. The numerical treatment of the
general relativistic hydrodynamic equations is based on high resolution shock
capturing schemes. These schemes rely on the characteristic information of the
system. A spectral decomposition for general relativistic hydrodynamics
suitable for a general spacetime metric is presented. Evolutions based on three
different approximate Riemann solvers coupled to four different discretizations
of the Einstein equations are studied and compared. The coupling between the
hydrodynamics and the spacetime (the right and left hand side of the Einstein
equations) is carried out in a treatment which is second order accurate in {\it
both} space and time. Convergence tests for all twelve combinations with a
variety of test beds are studied, showing consistency with the differential
equations and correct convergence properties. The test-beds examined include
shocktubes, Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology tests, evolutions of
self-gravitating compact (TOV) stars, and evolutions of relativistically
boosted TOV stars. Special attention is paid to the numerical evolution of
strongly gravitating objects, e.g., neutron stars, in the full theory of
general relativity, including a simple, yet effective treatment for the surface
region of the star (where the rest mass density is abruptly dropping to zero).Comment: 45 pages RevTeX, 34 figure
Sources of Relativistic Jets in the Galaxy
Black holes of stellar mass and neutron stars in binary systems are first
detected as hard X-ray sources using high-energy space telescopes. Relativistic
jets in some of these compact sources are found by means of multiwavelength
observations with ground-based telescopes. The X-ray emission probes the inner
accretion disk and immediate surroundings of the compact object, whereas the
synchrotron emission from the jets is observed in the radio and infrared bands,
and in the future could be detected at even shorter wavelengths. Black-hole
X-ray binaries with relativistic jets mimic, on a much smaller scale, many of
the phenomena seen in quasars and are thus called microquasars. Because of
their proximity, their study opens the way for a better understanding of the
relativistic jets seen elsewhere in the Universe. From the observation of
two-sided moving jets it is inferred that the ejecta in microquasars move with
relativistic speeds similar to those believed to be present in quasars. The
simultaneous multiwavelength approach to microquasars reveals in short
timescales the close connection between instabilities in the accretion disk
seen in the X-rays, and the ejection of relativistic clouds of plasma observed
as synchrotron emission at longer wavelengths. Besides contributing to a deeper
comprehension of accretion disks and jets, microquasars may serve in the future
to determine the distances of jet sources using constraints from special
relativity, and the spin of black holes using general relativity.Comment: 39 pages, Tex, 8 figures, to appear in vol. 37 (1999) of Annual
Reviews of Astronomy and Astrophysic
Gene expression analysis in cold stress conditions reveals BBX20 and CLO as potential biomarkers for cold tolerance in almond
Late spring frosts can become one of the limiting factors for the expansion of cultivation area towards a harsher climate for the almond [Prunus amygdalus Batsch syn P. dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb] crop as spring frost can damage up to 90% of the harvest. In order to identify key genes favoring cold tolerance in almonds, branches from three late-blooming genotypes: ‘Guara’, ‘Soleta’ and ‘Belona’ were exposed at -4¿C during 24 h in a constant climate chamber. Phenotype analysis showed that ‘Guara’ and ‘Soleta’ had a greater acclimation capacity to cold than ‘Belona’. The qRT-PCR BioMark System technology was used to monitor the relative expression of 30 candidate genes with a potential relation to cold response, which are either involved in the ICE-CBF-COR pathway or the independent CBF pathway, and also genes not yet characterized or with unknown function in almond genome. Differences in the gene expression profiles were found among the three studied genotypes and the three time-points of cold exposure (0, 2 and 24 h). BBX20 and CLO genes behaved as differentiator genes between tolerant and susceptible genotypes in cold stress response in almond pistils. In addition, the differences of expression among the tolerant genotypes suggested the intervention of different mechanisms responding to cold stress in almonds. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
Simple waves in relativistic fluids
We consider the Riemann problem for relativistic flows of polytropic fluids
and find relations for the flow characteristics. Evolution of physical
quantities take especially simple form for the case of cold magnetized plasmas.
We find exact, explicit analytical solutions for one dimensional expansion of
magnetized plasma into vacuum, valid for arbitrary magnetization. We also
consider expansion into cold unmagnetized external medium both for stationary
initial conditions and for initially moving plasma, as well as reflection of
rarefaction wave from a wall. We also find self-similar structure of
three-dimensional magnetized outflows into vacuum, valid close to the
plasma-vacuum interface.
The key results of this work, the self-similar solutions, were incorporated
post-initial submission into appendices of the published version of Granot et
al. (2010)
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