Observable effects of scalar fields and varying constants

We show by using the method of matched asymptotic expansions that a sufficient condition can be derived which determines when a local experiment will detect the cosmological variation of a scalar field which is driving the spacetime variation of a supposed constant of Nature. We extend our earlier analyses of this problem by including the possibility that the local region is undergoing collapse inside a virialised structure, like a galaxy or galaxy cluster. We show by direct calculation that the sufficient condition is met to high precision in our own local region and we can therefore legitimately use local observations to place constraints upon the variation of “constants” of Nature on cosmological scales.     

A mixing length model for turbulent flow in constant cross section ducts

In this paper, a study is made of the damping influence of the wall on turbulent fluid flow. By considering the oscillation of the whole of the boundary, van Driest's original hypothesis has been extended to obtain the wall damping factor in flow in a duct of constant cross section. The damping factor is used in conjunction with mixing length expressions to obtain the velocity field. Particular examples considered are plane parallel flow and axisymmetric flow in a pipe and in an annulus.

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Ein Modell für die Mischungslänge von turbulenten Strömungen in Rohren mit konstantem Querschnitt

Zusammenfassung In dieser Arbeit wurde der dämpfende Wandeinfluß in turbulenten Strömungen untersucht. Unter Berücksichtigung der Schwingungen in der gesamten Grenzschicht wurde die ursprüngliche Theorie von van Driest erweitert und ein Dämpfungsfaktor an der Wand in Rohrströmungen mit konstantem Querschnitt ermittelt. Dieser Dämpfungsfaktor diente in Verbindung mit Ausdrücken für die Mischungslänge zur Bestimmung des Geschwindigkeitsfeldes. Ausgewählte Beispiele waren die ebene Parallelströmung sowie die Zylinderströmung in einem Rohr und einem Ringspalt.

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Nomenclature A, A^*(=Au/v) Parameter defined in text - b, b^*(=bu/v) semi-width of parallel plate channel - c(= 1/A) parameter defined in text - E[, /2] complete elliptic integral of the second kind - d damping factor - F, G, H functions - l, l^*(=/v) mixing length - M_O, _O functions - r, r^*(=ru/v) radius - A real part of function - R, S, T, U functions - u, u^*(=u/u) velocity in flow direction Z - friction velocity - x, y, z co-ordinates (z in flow direction) - y^*(=yu/v) non-dimensional wall distance - fluid density - , _eff kinematic viscosity, effective kinematic viscosity - phase angle, or polar coordinate angle - shear stress - (=r/r_W) radius ratio - angular velocity Suffixes w wall value - far from a wall     

Identification of hydroxymethylpyrazines using mass spectrometry

Pyrazines are well‐known natural products that are present in bacterial odours and food flavouring agents and are used as insect pheromones. Recently, a number of hydroxymethylpyrazines have been identified as thynnine wasp pheromones and orchid semiochemicals that are essential for pollination in sexually deceptive plants. These compounds are present in low amounts in complex blends, making GC–MS (including high‐resolution techniques) the method of choice for their structure elucidation. We report the EI mass spectra for 14 representative compounds and have found that based on characteristic fragmentations, it is possible to distinguish between different positional isomers of hydroxymethylpyrazines. The presence or absence of either [M ? 17]⁺, [M ? 18]^+· or [M ? 19]⁺ fragment species provides characteristic information to allow the distinction between the different isomers. Considering the importance of pyrazines as a group of bioactive natural products, and the recent findings of biological activity for hydroxymethylpyrazines, our results presented here will aid the identification of these compounds in other biological systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

DYNGA: a general purpose QM-MM-MD program. I. Application to water

We present a general purpose QM-MM-MD engine (DYNGA) designed to test alternative hybrid Hamiltonians geared towards the treatment of problems of interest in structural biology including the use of experimental data constraints. In this first presentation we use DYNGA to explore the behaviour of a traditional QM-MM approach in the treatment of the water—water interaction. We find the potential energy hypersurface for the water dimer computed with the HF 4–31G*/TIP3P hybrid Hamiltonian tends to be too flat. We also explore the effect of using traditional QM-MM techniques on proton wires and conclude there is a need for improvement, possibly addressed by using polarizable force fields.     

Determination of total sulphur in soil and plant material

A rapid and accurate method for the determination of the total sulphur content of soil or plant material is described. The sample is heated with sodium bicarbonate and silver oxide at 550° for ₃h, and the sulphur content of the whole residue is reduced to hydrogen sulphide and determined as methylene blue. The results compare favourably with those of other methods.In routine use, at least 30 analyses may be completed in a day.     

Massive particles as a probe of the early universe

The survival density of stable massive particles with general annihilation cross section is calculated in a cosmological model that expands anisotropically in its early stages (t<1 s). It is shown that the faster average expansion rate leaves a larger present density of surviving particles that in a model that expands isotropically. This allows particle survival calculations to be employed as a probe of the dynamics of the early universe prior to nucleosynthesis. Several examples of heavy lepton, nucleon and monopole survival are discussed.     

Electronic states of the CeO molecule: Absorption,emission, and laser spectroscopy

The electronic spectrum of the CeO molecule is characterized by the existence of many 0-0 bands resulting from transitions between various Ω components of excited states and the 16 lower Ω states which arise from the lowest configuration… (4f)(6s). Classical studies of rotational structure of absorption and emission spectra have been extended, and argon-ion and tunable dye (coumarin 460, rhodamine 6G, rhodamine 101) lasers have been used to excite known transitions in bands which had previously been rotationally analyzed. The resulting fluorescence spectra have been used to establish the relative energies of the lower states. By tuning the lasers to excite analyzed transitions from different known electronic states it has been possible to determine the energies of 16 low-lying states, to assign quantum numbers to 14 with certainty, and to suggest assignments for the other 2. The resulting energy level diagram of lower states is discussed and shown to correlate well with the 4f6s configuration of the Ce²⁺ ion. From the energies of the low-lying states, those of the higher excited states are calculated and in some cases new values of vibrational and rotational constants are derived.     

Observations on the electronic spectrum of gaseous FeO

About 400 lines are assigned to FeO emission bands in the region 5580 to 6265 Å. The lower state of all the bands analyzed is identified as the ground state of the molecule, for the value of the lower-state vibration frequency (ω_e = 880.61 ± 0.02 cm^?1) is in excellent agreement with that observed in low-temperature matrix isolation, itself confirmed by isotopic substitution. This state is also observed as the lower state in laser-induced fluorescence. However, 880 cm^?1 is significantly smaller than the value found in laser photodetachment studies of FeO^? (970 ± 60 cm^?1). The rotational analysis is consistent with a parallel transition, ΔΛ = 0, but the value of Λ is not determined. According to theoretical calculations, the orange bands most probably arise from a ⁵Σ-⁵Σ transition. There is at least one nearby excited state, for all analyzed upper levels are perturbed.