1,015 research outputs found
The EDELWEISS-II experiment
EDELWEISS is a direct dark matter search situated in the low radioactivity
environment of the Modane Underground Laboratory. The experiment uses Ge
detectors at very low temperature in order to identify eventual rare nuclear
recoils induced by elastic scattering of WIMPs from our Galactic halo. The
commissioning of the second phase of the experiment, involving more than 7 kg
of Ge, has been completed in 2007. Two new type of detectors with active
rejection of events due to surface contamination have demonstrated the
performances required to achieve the physics goal of the present phase.Comment: 43rd Rencontres de Moriond - Electroweak Interactions and Unified
Theories, La Thuile : Italie (2008
Galaxy Morphologies in the Cluster CL1358+62 at z=0.33
We describe the morphological composition of a sample of 518 galaxies in the
field of CL1358+62 at z=0.33, drawn from a large HST mosaic covering 53 sq.
arcmin. The sample is complete to I=22, corresponding to M_V=-18.5 in the rest
frame. The galaxies have been independently classified by the authors of this
paper and by Alan Dressler. For galaxies with I<21, the two sets of classifiers
agree on the total early-type population, but disagree on the S0/E ratio. We
discuss the constraints on morphological evolution and the implication of the
differing S0/E ratios. We use our large body of spectra to make the
correspondence between morphological and spectral type.Comment: includes 10 fig
Size-effect independence of hybrid fiber-reinforced roller-compacted concrete fracture toughness
The present paper aims to prove the size-effect independence of Hybrid Fiber-Reinforced RCC (HyFR-RCC) fracture toughness determined through the Modified Two-Parameter Model (MTPM). A micromechanical numerical model is applied to simulate the fracture behavior of seven series of single edge-notched specimens, made of both plain-RCCs and FR-RCCs (single and hybrid reinforcements), subjected to three-point bending. The MTPM is applied to the numerical load vs CMOD curves to compute the fracture toughness. A comparison with experimental values, available in the literature, is performed. Therefore, RCC specimens with different sizes are numerically simulated and the fracture toughness is analytically determined through the MTPM, proving the size-effect independence
ACHA: Avaliação da Contaminação hídrica por agrotóxico.
Modelos matemáticos e simuladores têm sido desenvolvidos para prever a lixiviação de agrotóxicos em solos, permitindo grande economia de tempo e recursos financeiros, além de permitir análises de risco com maior representatividade e confiabilidade. O Brasil ainda não faz uso dessas ferramentas no processo de avaliação de risco e classificação ambiental dos agrotóxicos. Estas ferramentas não são utilizadas pelas autoridades nacionais por não estarem adaptadas às condições brasileiras. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver uma ferramenta computacional para simulação da lixiviação de agrotóxicos em cenários agrícolas brasileiros. A ferramenta computacional recebeu o nome de ACHA, que se refere ao acrônimo de Avaliação da Contaminação Hídrica por Agrotóxico. Para simulação do fluxo no solo utilizou-se a equação de Richards e para o transporte de agrotóxicos considerou-se os mecanismos de convecção, dispersão e difusão na fase líquida. A sorção do agrotóxico na fase sólida foi descrita pela isoterma de Freundlich e a degradação por uma equação de primeira ordem. O efeito dos fatores ambientais como temperatura, umidade e profundidade do solo é considerado na simulação da degradação do agrotóxico no solo. Os processos de absorção de água e agrotóxicos pelas plantas não são considerados. A ferramenta é composta de três partes: (i) código em Fortran para solução e integração dos modelos matemáticos; (ii) base de dados para armazenamento dos cenários e (iii) interface gráfica para inserção dos dados de entrada e visualização das simulações. Como resultados, a ferramenta é capaz de simular perfis de umidade e concentração do agrotóxico no solo em função do tempo.bitstream/item/29245/1/BP201058.pd
A novel methodology for fatigue assessment of Ductile Cast Iron (DCI) with solidification defects
In the present research work, the fatigue strength assessment of a DCI containing solidification defects is theoretically carried out by means of a procedure implementing: (i) a defect content analysis, (ii) the varea-parameter model, and (iii) the multiaxial critical plane-based criterion by Carpinteri at al. An experimental campaign available in the literature, performed on DCI specimens under multiaxial fatigue loading, is analysed. The comparison between the obtained results and the experimental data shows a quite satisfactory agreement, highlighting the criterion accuracy
Dynamical Evolution of Globular Cluster Systems formed in Galaxy Mergers: Deep HST/ACS Imaging of Old and Intermediate-Age Globular Clusters in NGC 3610
(ABRIDGED) The ACS camera on board the Hubble Space Telescope has been used
to obtain deep images of the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 3610, a
well-established dissipative galaxy merger remnant. These observations
supersede previous WFPC2 images which revealed the presence of a population of
metal-rich globular clusters (GCs) of intermediate age (~1.5-4 Gyr). We detect
a total of 580 GC candidates, 46% more than from the previous WFPC2 images. The
new photometry strengthens the significance of the previously found bimodality
of the color distribution of GCs. Peak colors in V-I are 0.93 +/-0.01 and 1.09
+/- 0.01 for the blue and red subpopulations, respectively. The luminosity
function (LF) of the inner 50% of the metal-rich (`red') population of GCs
differs markedly from that of the outer 50%. In particular, the LF of the inner
50% of the red GCs shows a flattening consistent with a turnover that is about
1.0 mag fainter than the turnover of the blue GC LF. This is consistent with
predictions of recent models of GC disruption for the age range mentioned above
and for metallicities that are consistent with the peak color of the red GCs as
predicted by population synthesis models. We determine the specific frequency
of GCs in NGC 3610 and find a present-day value of S_N = 1.4 +/- 0.6. We
estimate that this value will increase to S_N = 3.8 +/- 1.7 at an age of 10
Gyr, which is consistent with typical S_N values for `normal' ellipticals. Our
findings constitute further evidence in support of the notion that metal-rich
GC populations formed during major mergers involving gas-rich galaxies can
evolve dynamically (through disruption processes) into the red, metal-rich GC
populations that are ubiquitous in `normal' giant ellipticals.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in The
Astronomical Journal. Figure 6 somewhat degraded to adhere to astro-ph rule
Determinants of depression in 111 italian patients with systemic sclerosis
Background: A high prevalence of depressive symptoms has been described in systemic sclerosis (SSc), but no clear association with organ involvement or objective indices of disease severity has been depicted. To date, no effort has been made to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in Italian patients with SSc or to clarify their cause. Methods: One-hundred-eleven SSc patients were asked to fill in the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire, the scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire (sHAQ) and two additional questions assessing the patient's familiar support and the social consequences of the patient's change in physical appearnace. Results: Thirty-seven subjects (33.4%) presented mild to severe depressive symptoms (BDI ³17). On univariate analysis the diffuse cutaneous form of the disease (p=0.019), higher pulmonary systolic pressures on echocardiogram (p=0.016), lower FVC percentage of predicted values (p=0.022), higher sHAQ values (p<0.001) or higher VAS values for pain (p=0.007), lung involvement (p=0.02), Raynaud's phenomenon severity (p=0.002), ulcers severity (p=0.006) or disease severity (p<0.001), were associated with the presence of pathologic depressive symptoms. On multivariate analysis only the VAS for disease severity relevant to BDI scores (p=0.016). Social behaviour changes due to SSc-related physical involvement were reported in 14 patients (38%) with depressive symptoms (p=0,006) and were more likely to be observed in younger patients (p=0.001) with a more severe Raynauds's phenomenon (p=0.013). Conclusions: Mild to severe depressive symptoms are common in SSc patients especially in those with a worse perception of disease severity, these patients should be carefully monitored and a psychological assistance counselled whenever necessary
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