The first observation of osmotically neutral sodium accumulation in the myocardial interstitium

The aim of this study was the detection and quantification of the Na+ depositions in the extracellular matrix of myocardial tissue, which are suggested to be bound by negatively charged glycosaminoglycan (GAG) structures. The presented experimental results are based on high resolution X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectromicroscopy technique used to perform a comparative analysis of sodium containment in intracellular and interstitial spaces of cardiac tissues taken from animals selected by low and high sodium intake rates. The experimental results obtained show that high sodium daily intake can result in a remarkable increase of sodium content in the myocardial interstitium.

The first observation of osmotically neutral sodium accumulation in the myocardial interstitium

The aim of this study was the detection and quantification of the Na+ depositions in the extracellular matrix of myocardial tissue, which are suggested to be bound by negatively charged glycosaminoglycan (GAG) structures. The presented experimental results are based on high resolution X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectromicroscopy technique used to perform a comparative analysis of sodium containment in intracellular and interstitial spaces of cardiac tissues taken from animals selected by low and high sodium intake rates. The experimental results obtained show that high sodium daily intake can result in a remarkable increase of sodium concentration in the myocardial interstitium.

Magnetic deflection of neutral sodium-doped ammonia clusters

A new Stern–Gerlach setup elucidates the spin relaxation dynamics of small weakly-bound Na(NH3)n clusters.

Solar wind proton precipitation to the surface of Mercury

<p>We examine the effects of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation and solar wind dynamic pressure on the solar wind proton precipitation to the surface of Mercury. We use the Amitis model, a three-dimensional GPU-based hybrid model of plasma (particle ions and fluid electrons), and explain a method we found necessary to accurately calculate plasma precipitation to the surface of Mercury through the highly dynamic Hermean magnetosphere. We use our model to explain ground-based telescope observations of Mercury's neutral sodium exosphere, and compare our simulation results with MESSENGER observations. For the typical solar wind dynamic pressure near the orbit of Mercury (i.e., ~7-8 nPa) our model shows a high solar wind proton flux precipitates through the magnetospheric cusps to the high latitudes on both hemispheres on the dayside with a higher precipitation rate to the southern hemisphere compared to the north, which is associated with the northward displacement of Mercury's intrinsic magnetic dipole. We show that this two peak pattern, which is also a common feature observed for neutral sodium exosphere, is controlled by the radial component (B<sub>x</sub>) of the IMF and not the B<sub>z</sub> component. Our model also suggests that the southward IMF and its associated magnetic reconnection do not play a major role in controlling plasma precipitation to the surface of Mercury through the magnetospheric cusps, in agreement with MESSENGER observations that show that, unlike the Earth, there is almost no dependence between the IMF angle and magnetic reconnection rate at Mercury. For the typical solar wind dynamic pressure, our model suggests that the solar wind proton precipitation through the cusps is longitudinally centered near noon with ~11<sup>o</sup> latitudinal extent in the north and ~21<sup>o</sup> latitudinal extent in the south, which is consistent with MESSENGER observations. We found an anti-correlation in the incidence area on the surface and the incidence particle rate between the northern and southern cusp precipitation such that the total area and the total rate through both of the cusps remain constant and independent of the IMF orientation. We also show that the solar wind proton incidence rate to the entire surface of Mercury is higher when the IMF has a northward component and nearly half of the incidence flux impacts the low latitudes on the nightside. During extreme solar events (e.g., Coronal Mass Ejections) a large area on the dayside surface of Mercury is exposed to the solar wind plasma, especially in the southern hemisphere. Our model suggests that over 70 nPa solar wind dynamic pressure is required for the entire surface of Mercury to be exposed to the solar wind plasma.</p>

Hot Exoplanet Atmospheres Resolved with Transit Spectroscopy (HEARTS)

Planet formation processes or evolution mechanisms are surmised to be at the origin of the hot Neptune desert. Studying exoplanets currently living within or at the edge of this desert could allow disentangling the respective roles of formation and evolution. We present the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) transmission spectrum of the bloated super-Neptune WASP-166b, located at the outer rim of the Neptune desert. Neutral sodium is detected at the 3.4σ level (0.455 ± 0.135%), with a tentative indication of line broadening, which could be caused by winds blowing sodium farther into space, a possible manifestation of the bloated character of these highly irradiated worlds. We put this detection into context with previous work claiming a non-detection of sodium in the same observations and show that the high noise in the trace of the discarded stellar sodium lines was responsible for the non-detection. We highlight the impact of this low signal-to-noise ratio remnant on detections for exoplanets similar to WASP-166b.

Parametrization of the effective potential in sodium clusters

The effective radial electronic potentials for neutral sodium clus­ters determined by the local density approximation and the jellium model are parametrized by means οf (symmetrized) Woods-Saxon and "Wine-Bottle" symmetrized Woods-Saxon potentials. The potential parameters are deter­ mined by various least-squares fitting procedures. Particular attention is paid to the dependence of the radius parameter R on the particle number Ν and it is realized that for relatively smaller values of N, complex expressions of R as a function of N, are more appropriate than the standard one R = r_0N^{1/3}. It is also found that improved results in these cases are obtained with an expression, of the form R = r_0N^{1/3} + 6, which is still very simple.

Particle Number Dependence of Size and Energy Quantities in Sodium Clusters

The effective radial electronic potentials for neutral sodium clusters, which were determined by Ekardt on the basis of the local density approximation and the jellium model, are parametrized by means of the (symmetrized) Woods-Saxon and "Wine-Bottle" symmetrized Woods-Saxon potentials with the aim of investigating the dependence of size and energy quantities on the cluster particle number. The potential parameters are determined by vari­ous least-squares fitting procedures. It is found that for the radius R of the above potentials, complex expressions are more appropriate than the stan­dard one R = r0N^{1/3} for relatively small values of N. Furthermore, N-power expansions are derived for those complex expressions of R, as well as for the r.m.s. radius of the potential. It is also found that improved results in these cases are obtained with an expression of the form R = r0N^{1/3}+b, which is still very simple. There is also investigated the variation of energy quan­tities, such as the single particle energies of the 1s and 1p states, the level spacing |E1p-E1s| and the average energy level spacing, with respect to the particle number N. Expressions for the first three of these quantities with N-dependent terms of the form aN^{2/3} + βΝ^{-1} give good results.