2,296 research outputs found
Laparoscopic Hysterectomy for Failed Labor Induction Abortion Is Neither Frugal nor Innovative.
A systematic review of lumped-parameter equivalent circuit models for real-time estimation of lithium-ion battery states
This paper presents a systematic review for the most commonly used lumped-parameter equivalent circuit model structures in lithium-ion battery energy storage applications. These models include the Combined model, Rint model, two hysteresis models, Randles' model, a modified Randles' model and two resistor-capacitor (RC) network models with and without hysteresis included. Two variations of the lithium-ion cell chemistry, namely the lithium-ion iron phosphate (LiFePO4) and lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide (LiNMC) are used for testing purposes. The model parameters and states are recursively estimated using a nonlinear system identification technique based on the dual Extended Kalman Filter (dual-EKF) algorithm. The dynamic performance of the model structures are verified using the results obtained from a self-designed pulsed-current test and an electric vehicle (EV) drive cycle based on the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) profile over a range of operating temperatures. Analysis on the ten model structures are conducted with respect to state-of-charge (SOC) and state-of-power (SOP) estimation with erroneous initial conditions. Comparatively, both RC model structures provide the best dynamic performance, with an outstanding SOC estimation accuracy. For those cell chemistries with large inherent hysteresis levels (e.g. LiFePO4), the RC model with only one time constant is combined with a dynamic hysteresis model to further enhance the performance of the SOC estimator
The ortho-to-para ratio of ammonia in the L1157 outflow
We have measured the ortho-to-para ratio of ammonia in the blueshifted gas of
the L1157 outflow by observing the six metastable inversion lines from (J, K) =
(1, 1) to (6, 6). The highly excited (5, 5) and (6, 6) lines were first
detected in the low-mass star forming regions. The rotational temperature
derived from the ratio of four transition lines from (3, 3) to (6, 6) is
130-140 K, suggesting that the blueshifted gas is heated by a factor of ~10 as
compared to the quiescent gas. The ortho-to-para ratio of the NH3 molecules in
the blueshifted gas is estimated to be 1.3--1.7, which is higher than the
statistical equilibrium value. This ratio provides us with evidence that the
NH3 molecules have been evaporated from dust grains with the formation
temperature between 18 and 25 K. It is most likely that the NH3 molecules on
dust grains have been released into the gas phase through the passage of strong
shock waves produced by the outflow. Such a scenario is supported by the fact
that the ammonia abundance in the blueshifted gas is enhanced by a factor of ~5
with respect to the dense quiescent gas.Comment: 16 pages, including 3 PS figures. To appear in the ApJ (Letters).
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Exact dynamics of interacting qubits in a thermal environment: Results beyond the weak coupling limit
We demonstrate an exact mapping of a class of models of two interacting
qubits in thermal reservoirs to two separate spin-bath problems. Based on this
mapping, exact numerical simulations of the qubits dynamics can be performed,
beyond the weak system-bath coupling limit. Given the time evolution of the
system, we study, in a numerically exact way, the dynamics of entanglement
between pair of qubits immersed in boson thermal baths, showing a rich
phenomenology, including an intermediate oscillatory behavior, the entanglement
sudden birth, sudden death, and revival. We find that stationary entanglement
develops between the qubits due to their coupling to a thermal environment,
unlike the isolated qubits case in which the entanglement oscillates. We also
show that the occurrence of entanglement sudden death in this model depends on
the portion of the zero and double excitation states in the subsystem initial
state. In the long-time limit, analytic expressions are presented at weak
system-bath coupling, for a range of relevant qubit parameters
Molecular Tracers of the Central 12 pc of the Galactic Center
We have used the BIMA array to image the Galactic Center with a 19-pointing
mosaic in HCN(1-0), HCO+(1-0), and H 42-alpha emission with 5 km/s velocity
resolution and 13'' x 4'' angular resolution. The 5' field includes the
circumnuclear ring (CND) and parts of the 20 and 50 km/s clouds. HCN(1-0) and
HCO+ trace the CND and nearby giant molecular clouds while the H 42-alpha
emission traces the ionized gas in Sgr A West. We find that the CND has a
definite outer edge in HCN and HCO+ emission at ~45'' radius and appears to be
composed of two or three distinct streams of molecular gas rotating around the
nucleus. Outside the CND, HCN and HCO+ trace dense clumps of high-velocity gas
in addition to optically thick emission from the 20 and 50 km/s clouds. A
molecular ridge of compressed gas and dust, traced in NH3 emission and
self-absorbed HCN and HCO+, wraps around the eastern edge of Sgr A East. Just
inside this ridge are several arcs of gas which have been accelerated by the
impact of Sgr A East with the 50 km/s cloud. HCN and HCO+ emission trace the
extension of the northern arm of Sgr A West which appears to be an independent
stream of neutral and ionized gas and dust originating outside the CND. Broad
line widths and OH maser emission mark the intersection of the northern arm and
the CND. Comparison to previous NH3 and 1.2mm dust observations shows that HCN
and HCO+ preferentially trace the CND and are weaker tracers of the GMCs than
NH3 and dust. We discuss possible scenarios for the emission mechanisms and
environment at the Galactic center which could explain the differences in these
images.Comment: 24 pages, including 17 figures; to appear in The Astrophysical
Journa
Systematic Molecular Differentiation in Starless Cores
(Abridged) We present evidence that low-mass starless cores, the simplest
units of star formation, are systematically differentiated in their chemical
composition. Molecules including CO and CS almost vanish near the core centers,
where the abundance decreases by one or two orders of magnitude. At the same
time, N2H+ has a constant abundance, and the fraction of NH3 increases toward
the core center. Our conclusions are based on a study of 5 mostly-round
starless cores (L1498, L1495, L1400K, L1517B, and L1544), which we have
mappedin C18O(1-0), C17O(1-0), CS(2-1), C34S(2-1), N2H+(1-0), NH3(1,1) and
(2,2), and the 1.2 mm continuum. For each core we have built a model that fits
simultaneously the radial profile of all observed emission and the central
spectrum for the molecular lines. The observed abundance drops of CO and CS are
naturally explained by the depletion of these molecules onto dust grains at
densities of 2-6 10^4 cm-3. N2H+ seems unaffected by this process up to
densities of several 10^5, while the NH3 abundance may be enhanced by reactions
triggered by the disappearance of CO from the gas phase. With the help of our
models, we show that chemical differentiation automatically explains the
discrepancy between the sizes of CS and NH3 maps, a problem which has remained
unexplained for more than a decade. Our models, in addition, show that a
combination of radiative transfer effects can give rise to the previously
observed discrepancy in the linewidth of these two tracers. Although this
discrepancy has been traditionally interpreted as resulting from a systematic
increase of the turbulent linewidth with radius, our models show that it can
arise in conditions of constant gas turbulence.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figures, accepted by Ap
Herschel/HIFI deepens the circumstellar NH3 enigma
Circumstellar envelopes (CSEs) of a variety of evolved stars have been found
to contain ammonia (NH3) in amounts that exceed predictions from conventional
chemical models by many orders of magnitude. The observations reported here
were performed in order to better constrain the NH3 abundance in the CSEs of
four, quite diverse, oxygen-rich stars using the NH3 ortho J_K = 1_0 - 0_0
ground-state line. We used the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared
aboard Herschel to observe the NH3 J_K = 1_0 - 0_0 transition near 572.5 GHz,
simultaneously with the ortho-H2O J_Ka,Kc = 1_1,0 -1_0,1 transition, toward VY
CMa, OH 26.5+0.6, IRC+10420, and IK Tau. We conducted non-LTE radiative
transfer modeling with the goal to derive the NH3 abundance in these objects'
CSEs. For the latter two stars, Very Large Array imaging of NH3
radio-wavelength inversion lines were used to provide further constraints,
particularly on the spatial extent of the NH3-emitting regions. Results. We
find remarkably strong NH3 emission in all of our objects with the NH3 line
intensities rivaling those obtained for the ground state H2O line. The NH3
abundances relative to H2 are very high and range from 2 x 10-7 to 3 x 10-6 for
the objects we have studied. Our observations confirm and even deepen the
circumstellar NH3 enigma. While our radiative transfer modeling does not yield
satisfactory fits to the observed line profiles, it leads to abundance
estimates that confirm the very high values found in earlier studies. New ways
to tackle this mystery will include further Herschel observations of more NH3
lines and imaging with the Expanded Very Large Array.Comment: 4+2 page
Stretch-induced intussuceptive and sprouting angiogenesis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane
Vascular systems grow and remodel in response to not only metabolic needs, but also mechanical influences as well. Here, we investigated the influence of tissue-level mechanical forces on the patterning and structure of the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) microcirculation. A dipole stretch field was applied to the CAM using custom computer-controlled servomotors. The topography of the stretch field was mapped using finite element models. After 3 days of stretch, Sholl analysis of the CAM demonstrated a 7-fold increase in conducting vessel intersections within the stretch field (p 0.05). In contrast, corrosion casting and SEM of the stretch field capillary meshwork demonstrated intense sprouting and intussusceptive angiogenesis. Both planar surface area (p < 0.05) and pillar density (p < 0.01) were significantly increased relative to control regions of the CAM. We conclude that a uniaxial stretch field stimulates the axial growth and realignment of conducting vessels as well as intussusceptive and sprouting angiogenesis within the gas exchange capillaries of the ex ovo CAM.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH grant HL95678
Superradiance Transition in Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Complexes
We investigate the role of long-lasting quantum coherence in the efficiency
of energy transport at room temperature in Fenna-Matthews-Olson photosynthetic
complexes. The excitation energy transfer due to the coupling of the light
harvesting complex to the reaction center ("sink") is analyzed using an
effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. We show that, as the coupling to the
reaction center is varied, maximal efficiency in energy transport is achieved
in the vicinity of the superradiance transition, characterized by a segregation
of the imaginary parts of the eigenvalues of the effective non-Hermitian
Hamiltonian. Our results demonstrate that the presence of the sink (which
provides a quasi--continuum in the energy spectrum) is the dominant effect in
the energy transfer which takes place even in absence of a thermal bath. This
approach allows one to study the effects of finite temperature and the effects
of any coupling scheme to the reaction center. Moreover, taking into account a
realistic electric dipole interaction, we show that the optimal distance from
the reaction center to the Fenna-Matthews-Olson system occurs at the
superradiance transition, and we show that this is consistent with available
experimental data.Comment: 9 page
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