We have performed quantum molecular dynamics simulations for dense helium to study the nonmetal-to-metal transition at high pressures. We present new results for the equation of state and the Hugoniot curve in the warm dense matter region. The optical conductivity is calculated via the Kubo-Greenwood formula from which the dc conductivity is derived. The nonmetal-to-metal transition is identifi...

We present here a general method for modelling the dynamics of battles among social animals. The proposed method exploits the procedures widely used to model chemical reactions, but still uncommon in behavioural studies. We applied this methodology to the interpretation of experimental observations of battles between two species of ants (Lasius neglectus and Lasius paralienus), but this scheme ...

We have detected the 626 GHz J = 1 --> 0 transition of hydrogen chloride (H35Cl) in absorption against the dust continuum emission of the molecular cloud Sagittarius B2. The observed line shape is consistent with the blending of the three hyperfine components of this transition by the velocity profile of Sgr B2 observed in other species. The apparent optical depth of the line is tau approxima...

Dust plays a vital role in climate and biophysical feedbacks in the Earth system. One source of dust, the Bodélé Depression in Chad, is estimated to produce about half the mineral aerosols emitted from the Sahara, which is the world's largest source. By using a variety of new remote sensing data, regional modeling, trajectory models, chemical analyses of dust, and future climate simulations, we...

The quest for superheavy elements (SHEs) is driven by the desire to find and explore one of the extreme limits of existence of matter. These elements exist solely due to their nuclear shell stabilization. All 15 presently 'known' SHEs (11 are officially 'discovered' and named) up to element 118 are short-lived and are man-made atom-at-a-time in heavy ion induced nuclear reactions. They are iden...

The basic principles underlying galactic chemical evolution and the most important results of chemical evolution models are discussed. In particular, the chemical evolution of the Milky Way galaxy, for which we possess the majority of observational constraints, is described. Then, it is shown how different star formation histories influence the chemical evolution of galaxies of different morpho...

We propose two modeling approaches to describe the dynamics of ant battles, starting from laboratory experiments on the behavior of two ant species, the invasive Lasius neglectus and the authocthonus Lasius paralienus. This work is mainly motivated by the need to have realistic models to predict the interaction dynamics of invasive species. The two considered species exhibit different fighting ...