The physics of twisted magnetic tubes rising in a stratified medium: two dimensional results

The physics of a twisted magnetic flux tube rising in a stratified medium is studied using a numerical MHD code. The problem considered is fully compressible (no Boussinesq approximation), includes ohmic resistivity, and is two dimensional, i.e., there is no variation of the variables in the direction of the tube axis. We study a high plasma beta case with small ratio of radius to external pressure scaleheight. The results obtained can therefore be of relevance to understand the transport of magnetic flux across the solar convection zone.Comment: To be published in ApJ, Vol. 492, Jan 10th, 1998; 25 pages, 16 figures. NEW VERSION: THE PREVIOUS ONE DIDN'T PRINT CORRECTLY. The style file overrulehere.sty is include

Numerical Experiments on the Two-step Emergence of Twisted Magnetic Flux Tubes in the Sun

We present the new results of the two-dimensional numerical experiments on the cross-sectional evolution of a twisted magnetic flux tube rising from the deeper solar convection zone (-20,000 km) to the corona through the surface. The initial depth is ten times deeper than most of previous calculations focusing on the flux emergence from the uppermost convection zone. We find that the evolution is illustrated by the two-step process described below: the initial tube rises due to its buoyancy, subject to aerodynamic drag due to the external flow. Because of the azimuthal component of the magnetic field, the tube maintains its coherency and does not deform to become a vortex roll pair. When the flux tube approaches the photosphere and expands sufficiently, the plasma on the rising tube accumulates to suppress the tube's emergence. Therefore, the flux decelerates and extends horizontally beneath the surface. This new finding owes to our large scale simulation calculating simultaneously the dynamics within the interior as well as above the surface. As the magnetic pressure gradient increases around the surface, magnetic buoyancy instability is triggered locally and, as a result, the flux rises further into the solar corona. We also find that the deceleration occurs at a higher altitude than in our previous experiment using magnetic flux sheets (Toriumi and Yokoyama). By conducting parametric studies, we investigate the conditions for the two-step emergence of the rising flux tube: field strength > 1.5x10^4 G and the twist > 5.0x10^-4 km^-1 at -20,000 km depth.Comment: 42 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ. High-resolution figures will appear in the published versio

The importance of strigolactone transport regulation for symbiotic signaling and shoot branching.

This review presents the role of strigolactone transport in regulating plant root and shoot architecture, plant-fungal symbiosis and the crosstalk with several phytohormone pathways. The authors, based on their data and recently published results, suggest that long-distance, as well local strigolactone transport might occur in a cell-to-cell manner rather than via the xylem stream. Strigolactones (SLs) are recently characterized carotenoid-derived phytohormones. They play multiple roles in plant architecture and, once exuded from roots to soil, in plant-rhizosphere interactions. Above ground SLs regulate plant developmental processes, such as lateral bud outgrowth, internode elongation and stem secondary growth. Below ground, SLs are involved in lateral root initiation, main root elongation and the establishment of the plant-fungal symbiosis known as mycorrhiza. Much has been discovered on players and patterns of SL biosynthesis and signaling and shown to be largely conserved among different plant species, however little is known about SL distribution in plants and its transport from the root to the soil. At present, the only characterized SL transporters are the ABCG protein PLEIOTROPIC DRUG RESISTANCE 1 from Petunia axillaris (PDR1) and, in less detail, its close homologue from Nicotiana tabacum PLEIOTROPIC DRUG RESISTANCE 6 (PDR6). PDR1 is a plasma membrane-localized SL cellular exporter, expressed in root cortex and shoot axils. Its expression level is regulated by its own substrate, but also by the phytohormone auxin, soil nutrient conditions (mainly phosphate availability) and mycorrhization levels. Hence, PDR1 integrates information from nutrient availability and hormonal signaling, thus synchronizing plant growth with nutrient uptake. In this review we discuss the effects of PDR1 de-regulation on plant development and mycorrhization, the possible cross-talk between SLs and other phytohormone transporters and finally the need for SL transporters in different plant species

Relationship between cellular response and behavioral variability in bacterial chemotaxis

Bacterial chemotaxis in Escherichia coli is a canonical system for the study of signal transduction. A remarkable feature of this system is the coexistence of precise adaptation in population with large fluctuating cellular behavior in single cells (Korobkova et al. 2004, Nature, 428, 574). Using a stochastic model, we found that the large behavioral variability experimentally observed in non-stimulated cells is a direct consequence of the architecture of this adaptive system. Reversible covalent modification cycles, in which methylation and demethylation reactions antagonistically regulate the activity of receptor-kinase complexes, operate outside the region of first-order kinetics. As a result, the receptor-kinase that governs cellular behavior exhibits a sigmoidal activation curve. This curve simultaneously amplifies the inherent stochastic fluctuations in the system and lengthens the relaxation time in response to stimulus. Because stochastic fluctuations cause large behavioral variability and the relaxation time governs the average duration of runs in response to small stimuli, cells with the greatest fluctuating behavior also display the largest chemotactic response. Finally, Large-scale simulations of digital bacteria suggest that the chemotaxis network is tuned to simultaneously optimize the random spread of cells in absence of nutrients and the cellular response to gradients of attractant.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, Supporting information available here http://cluzel.uchicago.edu/data/emonet/arxiv_070531_supp.pd

Use of Treponema pallidum PCR in Testing of Ulcers for Diagnosis of Primary Syphilis(1.).

Treponema pallidum PCR (Tp-PCR) has been noted as a valid method for diagnosing syphilis. We compared Tp-PCR to a combination of darkfield microscopy (DFM), the reference method, and serologic testing in a cohort of 273 patients from France and Switzerland and found the diagnostic accuracy of Tp-PCR was higher than that for DFM

Approche méthodologique de la modélisation du transport des HAP dans les sols et les eaux

Afin de préciser le cadre d'utilisation de codes de transport de polluants dans les sols et les eaux, un programme d'intercomparaison de méthodes et de codes a été mis en oeuvre avec la collaboration de huit équipes appartenant à des instituts de recherche ou des bureaux d'études. Parmi les types de polluants étudiés, les hydrocarbures aromatiques polycycliques (HAP) ont fait l'objet de simulations par deux groupes de travail. Le premier groupe, composé de cinq équipes, s'est intéressé à leur comportement en phase dissoute à partir d'un cas réel de pollution. Disposant des mêmes données d'étude, chaque équipe avait pour mission de concevoir un modèle conceptuel (description géologique, définition de la source, paramètres d'écoulement et de transport) et de simuler la pollution de la nappe avec le code de son choix. Les résultats obtenus montrent des différences significatives qui trouvent leur explication dans les paramètres des modèles conceptuels adoptés plus que dans les simulateurs choisis. Cet exercice a confirmé l'importance des paramètres suivants qui sont souvent incertains mais justifieraient d'être mieux appréciés lors de diagnostics : paramètres hydrodynamiques (détermination du champ de vitesse), coefficient de partition (pour chaque horizon géologique), temps de demi-vie du ou des polluants, extension de la source de pollution. Le second groupe a étudié les écoulements en phase libre (phase liquide non aqueuse) sur un cas théorique inspiré d'un cas réel de déversement massif de naphtalène. La modélisation a été conduite par trois équipes avec trois codes polyphasiques différents (SIMUSCOPP, TOUGH/T2VOC, UTCHEM). Cet exercice comprend le suivi du déversement et de la migration du naphtalène sous formes liquide et dissoute sur une distance de 300 m et une durée de 10 ans. Le naphtalène révèle un comportement d'hydrocarbure " lourd " avec une phase huile (partiellement miscible) qui tend à descendre à travers la nappe. Ce comportement a été reproduit par chacune des équipes, de manière plus ou moins complète en fonction des possibilités de modélisation offertes par les codes. Les résultats obtenus permettent de vérifier la cohérence des différentes approches polyphasiques entre elles. Bien que plus complexe (paramètres plus nombreux, difficulté numérique accrue), l'approche polyphasique se justifie pour mieux comprendre et déterminer la répartition spatiale de HAP en profondeur dans une nappe

Chemotactic response and adaptation dynamics in Escherichia coli

Adaptation of the chemotaxis sensory pathway of the bacterium Escherichia coli is integral for detecting chemicals over a wide range of background concentrations, ultimately allowing cells to swim towards sources of attractant and away from repellents. Its biochemical mechanism based on methylation and demethylation of chemoreceptors has long been known. Despite the importance of adaptation for cell memory and behavior, the dynamics of adaptation are difficult to reconcile with current models of precise adaptation. Here, we follow time courses of signaling in response to concentration step changes of attractant using in vivo fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements. Specifically, we use a condensed representation of adaptation time courses for efficient evaluation of different adaptation models. To quantitatively explain the data, we finally develop a dynamic model for signaling and adaptation based on the attractant flow in the experiment, signaling by cooperative receptor complexes, and multiple layers of feedback regulation for adaptation. We experimentally confirm the predicted effects of changing the enzyme-expression level and bypassing the negative feedback for demethylation. Our data analysis suggests significant imprecision in adaptation for large additions. Furthermore, our model predicts highly regulated, ultrafast adaptation in response to removal of attractant, which may be useful for fast reorientation of the cell and noise reduction in adaptation.Comment: accepted for publication in PLoS Computational Biology; manuscript (19 pages, 5 figures) and supplementary information; added additional clarification on alternative adaptation models in supplementary informatio

Search for antihelium in cosmic rays

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) was flown on the space shuttle Discovery during flight STS-91 in a 51.7 degree orbit at altitudes between 320 and 390 km. A total of 2.86 * 10^6 helium nuclei were observed in the rigidity range 1 to 140 GV. No antihelium nuclei were detected at any rigidity. An upper limit on the flux ratio of antihelium to helium of < 1.1 * 10^-6 is obtained.Comment: 18 pages, Latex, 9 .eps figure

A Study of Cosmic Ray Secondaries Induced by the Mir Space Station Using AMS-01

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) is a high energy particle physics experiment that will study cosmic rays in the $\sim 100 \mathrm{MeV}$ to $1 \mathrm{TeV}$ range and will be installed on the International Space Station (ISS) for at least 3 years. A first version of AMS-02, AMS-01, flew aboard the space shuttle \emph{Discovery} from June 2 to June 12, 1998, and collected $10^8$ cosmic ray triggers. Part of the \emph{Mir} space station was within the AMS-01 field of view during the four day \emph{Mir} docking phase of this flight. We have reconstructed an image of this part of the \emph{Mir} space station using secondary $\pi^-$ and $\mu^-$ emissions from primary cosmic rays interacting with \emph{Mir}. This is the first time this reconstruction was performed in AMS-01, and it is important for understanding potential backgrounds during the 3 year AMS-02 mission.Comment: To be submitted to NIM B Added material requested by referee. Minor stylistic and grammer change

Protons in near earth orbit

The proton spectrum in the kinetic energy range 0.1 to 200 GeV was measured by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) during space shuttle flight STS-91 at an altitude of 380 km. Above the geomagnetic cutoff the observed spectrum is parameterized by a power law. Below the geomagnetic cutoff a substantial second spectrum was observed concentrated at equatorial latitudes with a flux ~ 70 m^-2 sec^-1 sr^-1. Most of these second spectrum protons follow a complicated trajectory and originate from a restricted geographic region.Comment: 19 pages, Latex, 7 .eps figure