Results: Our analysis allows us to probe more efficiently the uncertain regions of the solar models, just below the convective zone, paving the way for new in-depth analyses of the Sun taking into account additional physical uncertainties of solar models beyond the specific question of chemical abundances. [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 20 (3 ULiège) A coupled electro-thermal Discontinuous Galerkin methodHomsi, Lina ; Geuzaine, Christophe ; Noels, Ludovic in Journal of Computational Physics (2017), 348This paper presents a Discontinuous Galerkin scheme in order to solve the nonlinear elliptic partial differential equations of coupled electro-thermal problems. In this paper we discuss the fundamental ... [more ▼]This paper presents a Discontinuous Galerkin scheme in order to solve the nonlinear elliptic partial differential equations of coupled electro-thermal problems. In this paper we discuss the fundamental equations for the transport of electricity and heat, in terms of macroscopic variables such as temperature and electric potential. A fully coupled nonlinear weak formulation for electro-thermal problems is developed based on continuum mechanics equations expressed in terms of energetically conjugated pair of fluxes and fields gradients. The weak form can thus be formulated as a Discontinuous Galerkin method. The existence and uniqueness of the weak form solution are proved. The numerical properties of the nonlinear elliptic problems i.e., consistency and stability, are demonstrated under specific conditions, i.e. use of high enough stabilization parameter and at least quadratic polynomial approximations. Moreover the prior error estimates in the H1-norm and in the L2-norm are shown to be optimal in the mesh size with the polynomial approximation degree. [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 63 (14 ULiège) A modern study of HD 166734: a massive supergiant systemMahy, Laurent ; Damerdji, Yassine ; Gosset, Eric et alin Astronomy and Astrophysics (2017), 607Aims: HD 166734 is an eccentric eclipsing binary system composed of two supergiant O-type stars, orbiting with a 34.5-day period. In this rare configuration for such stars, the two objects mainly evolve ... [more ▼]Aims: HD 166734 is an eccentric eclipsing binary system composed of two supergiant O-type stars, orbiting with a 34.5-day period. In this rare configuration for such stars, the two objects mainly evolve independently, following single-star evolution so far. This system provides a chance to study the individual parameters of two supergiant massive stars and to derive their real masses. Methods: An intensive monitoring was dedicated to HD 166734. We analyzed mid- and high-resolution optical spectra to constrain the orbital parameters of this system. We also studied its light curve for the first time, obtained in the VRI filters. Finally, we disentangled the spectra of the two stars and modeled them with the CMFGEN atmosphere code in order to determine the individual physical parameters. Results: HD 166734 is a O7.5If+O9I(f) binary. We confirm its orbital period but we revise the other orbital parameters. In comparison to what we found in the literature, the system is more eccentric and, now, the hottest and the most luminous component is also the most massive one. The light curve exhibits only one eclipse and its analysis indicates an inclination of 63.0° ± 2.7°. The photometric analysis provides us with a good estimation of the luminosities of the stars, and therefore their exact positions in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. The evolutionary and the spectroscopic masses show good agreement with the dynamical masses of 39.5 M[SUB]⊙[/SUB] for the primary and 33.5 M[SUB]⊙[/SUB] for the secondary, within the uncertainties. The two components are both enriched in helium and in nitrogen and depleted in carbon. In addition, the primary also shows a depletion in oxygen. Their surface abundances are however not different from those derived from single supergiant stars, yielding, for both components, an evolution similar to that of single stars. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory (La Silla, Chile) with FEROS and TAROT and on data collected at the San Pedro Mártir observatory (Mexico).The reduced spectra and the light curves are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/607/A96 [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 18 (0 ULiège) H0LiCOW VII: cosmic evolution of the correlation between black hole mass and host galaxy luminosityDing, Xuheng; Treu, Tommaso; Suyu, Sherry H. et alin Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2017), 472Strongly lensed active galactic nuclei (AGN) provide a unique opportunity to make progress in the study of the evolution of the correlation between the mass of supermassive black holes (M_BH) and their ... [more ▼]Strongly lensed active galactic nuclei (AGN) provide a unique opportunity to make progress in the study of the evolution of the correlation between the mass of supermassive black holes (M_BH) and their host galaxy luminosity (L[SUB]host[/SUB]). We demonstrate the power of lensing by analysing two systems for which state-of-the-art lens modelling techniques have been applied to deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging data. We use (i) the reconstructed images to infer the total and bulge luminosity of the host and (ii) published broad-line spectroscopy to estimate M_BH using the so-called virial method. We then enlarge our sample with new calibration of previously published measurements to study the evolution of the correlation out to z ˜ 4.5. Consistent with previous work, we find that without taking into account passive luminosity evolution, the data points lie on the local relation. Once the passive luminosity evolution is taken into account, we find that black holes in the more distant Universe reside in less luminous galaxies than today. Fitting this offset as M_BH/L[SUB]host[/SUB] ∝ (1 + z)[SUP]γ[/SUP], and taking into account selection effects, we obtain γ = 0.6 ± 0.1 and 0.8 ± 0.1 for the case of M_BH-L[SUB]bulge[/SUB] and M_BH-L[SUB]total[/SUB], respectively. To test for systematic uncertainties and selection effects we also consider a reduced sample that is homogeneous in data quality. We find consistent results but with considerably larger uncertainty due to the more limited sample size and redshift coverage (γ = 0.7 ± 0.4 and 0.2 ± 0.5 for M_BH-L[SUB]bulge[/SUB] and M_BH-L[SUB]total[/SUB], respectively), highlighting the need to gather more high-quality data for high-redshift lensed quasar hosts. Our result is consistent with a scenario where the growth of the black hole predates that of the host galaxy. [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 20 (1 ULiège) High-precision multi-wavelength eclipse photometry of the ultra-hot gas giant exoplanet WASP-103 bDelrez, L.; Madhusudhan, N.; Lendl, M. et alin Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2017), 474(2), 2334-2351We present sixteen occultation and three transit light curves for the ultra-short period hot Jupiter WASP-103 b, in addition to five new radial velocity measurements. We combine these observations with ... [more ▼]We present sixteen occultation and three transit light curves for the ultra-short period hot Jupiter WASP-103 b, in addition to five new radial velocity measurements. We combine these observations with archival data and perform a global analysis of the resulting extensive dataset, accounting for the contamination from a nearby star. We detect the thermal emission of the planet in both the $z'$ and $K_{\mathrm{S}}$-bands, the measured occultation depths being 699$\pm$110 ppm (6.4-$\sigma$) and $3567_{-350}^{+400}$ ppm (10.2-$\sigma$), respectively. We use these two measurements together with recently published HST/WFC3 data to derive joint constraints on the properties of WASP-103 b's dayside atmosphere. On one hand, we find that the $z'$-band and WFC3 data are best fit by an isothermal atmosphere at 2900 K or an atmosphere with a low H$_2$O abundance. On the other hand, we find an unexpected excess in the $K_{\mathrm{S}}$-band measured flux compared to these models, which requires confirmation with additional observations before any interpretation can be given. From our global data analysis, we also derive a broad-band optical transmission spectrum that shows a minimum around 700 nm and increasing values towards both shorter and longer wavelengths. This is in agreement with a previous study based on a large fraction of the archival transit light curves used in our analysis. The unusual profile of this transmission spectrum is poorly matched by theoretical spectra and is not confirmed by more recent observations at higher spectral resolution. Additional data, both in emission and transmission, are required to better constrain the atmospheric properties of WASP-103 b. [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 18 (1 ULiège) Twenty-year tracking of lighting savings and power density in the residential sectorAttia, Shady ; Hamdy, Mohamed; Ezzeldin, Sherifin Energy and Buildings (2017), 154Lighting energy consumption represents a significant percentage of total energy consumption in residential building sector. During the last 20 years, advanced energy-efficient lighting fixtures have been ... [more ▼]Lighting energy consumption represents a significant percentage of total energy consumption in residential building sector. During the last 20 years, advanced energy-efficient lighting fixtures have been introduced worldwide to conserve the energy consumption in residences. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, very few studies have been conducted to evaluate the association between the introduced lighting fixtures and the resulted energy savings using valid measurements and verification techniques. This study evaluates the techno-economic impact of replacing new energy efficient lighting in residences in Egypt (a representative MENA region country). A quantitative analysis is applied by tracking the utility bills of 150 residential apartments in Cairo. The average measured power consumption before (1993-1998) and after (2009-2014) installation energy efficient lighting fixtures is analyzed. A building performance simulation model is developed to back the findings. The findings indicate a significant disparity between the estimated savings based on simulation and the real measured savings due to penetration, rebound effect and low quality lamps. Moreover, the findings present an example of quantified benefits of energy efficient lighting, which is very important to inform the decision making of public policy makers, investors and building occupants. [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 58 (7 ULiège) Increasing plant functional diversity is not the key for supporting pollinators in wildflower stripsUyttenbroeck, Roel ; Piqueray, Julien; Hatt, Séverin et alin Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (2017), 249Intensification of agriculture has been one of the major drivers for biodiversity loss in recent decades. Pollinators, which serve an important role in pollinating crops as well as wild plants, have shown ... [more ▼]Intensification of agriculture has been one of the major drivers for biodiversity loss in recent decades. Pollinators, which serve an important role in pollinating crops as well as wild plants, have shown a decline in species richness. Flower strips can be used to support pollinators in agro-ecosystems, however the question remains as to how their design can be optimized in order to best benefit pollinators. Increasing plant species diversity has been shown to be beneficial for pollinators, and it is often suggested that functional traits are driving this relationship. Therefore, increasing plant functional diversity could be a tool to support pollinator abundance and diversity. As experimental evidence on this relationship is scarce, we developed a field study with experimental sown flower strips with four functional diversity levels, based on multiple flower traits and with equal plant species richness. We monitored vegetation development, as well as the flower-visiting pollinator community and their interaction networks with flowers. We were able to create a functional diversity gradient while controlling for plant species richness and evenness. However, in contrast to our expectations, pollinator species richness and evenness were not influenced by functional diversity, and increasing functional diversity even resulted in lower flower visitation rates. Network stability metrics showed no effect or negative relationships with functional diversity. We conclude that increasing functional diversity was not the key for supporting pollinators in wildflower strips. Our results also suggest that, for a constant amount of flower resources, increasing plant functional diversity and thus decreasing redundancy of potential pollinator feeding niches, decreases the amount of flower resources present per feeding niche. As pollinator species tended to have less overlap in their feeding niches in flower strips with increased functional diversity, this may lead to a reduction of flower resources available for pollinator species with a more specialized feeding niche. [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 56 (4 ULiège) Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation, and Their Combination on Brain Oscillations in Patients with Chronic Visceral Pain: A Pilot Crossover Randomized Controlled Study.Thibaut, Aurore ; Russo, Cristina; Hurtado-Puerto, Aura-Maria et alin Frontiers in Neurology (2017)Objective: Chronic visceral pain (CVP) syndromes are persistently painful disorders with a remarkable lack of effective treatment options. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of different ... [more ▼]Objective: Chronic visceral pain (CVP) syndromes are persistently painful disorders with a remarkable lack of effective treatment options. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of different neuromodulation techniques in patients with CVP on cortical activity, through electreocephalography (EEG) and on pain perception, through clinical tests. Design:A pilot crossover randomized controlled study. Settings: Out-patient. Subjects: Adults with CVP (>3 months). Methods: Participants received four interventions in a randomized order: (1) transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) and active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined, (2) tPCS alone, (3) tDCS alone, and (4) sham condition. Resting state quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) and pain assessments were performed before and after each intervention. Results were compared with a cohort of 47 healthy controls. Results: We enrolled six patients with CVP for a total of 21 visits completed. Compared with healthy participants, patients with CVP showed altered cortical activity characterized by increased power in theta, alpha and beta bands, and a significant reduction in the alpha/beta ratio. Regarding tES, the combination of tDCS with tPCS had no effect on power in any of the bandwidths, nor brain regions. Comparing tPCS with tDCS alone, we found that tPCS induced higher increase in power within the theta and alpha bandwidths. Conclusion: This study confirms that patients with CVP present abnormal EEG-indexed cortical activity compared with healthy controls. Moreover, we showed that combining two types of neurostimulation techniques had no effect, whereas the two interventions, when applied individually, have different neural signatures. [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 22 (0 ULiège) Le droit de propriété et le droit au logement font-ils bon ménage ? De quelques réflexions politologiques à partir des libertés fondamentalesGrandjean, Geoffrey in Le Cri (2017), (418), 10-13Detailed reference viewed: 32 (5 ULiège) An X-ray view of HD 166734, a massive supergiant systemNazé, Yaël ; Gosset, Eric ; Mahy, Laurent et alin Astronomy and Astrophysics (2017), 607(A97), 1-10The X-ray emission of the O+O binary HD 166734 was monitored using Swift and XMM-Newton observatories, leading to the discovery of phase-locked variations. The presence of an f line in the He-like ... [more ▼]The X-ray emission of the O+O binary HD 166734 was monitored using Swift and XMM-Newton observatories, leading to the discovery of phase-locked variations. The presence of an f line in the He-like triplets further supports a wind-wind collision as the main source of the X-rays in HD 166734. While temperature and absorption do not vary significantly along the orbit, the X-ray emission strength varies by one order of magnitude, with a long minimum state (Δ(φ) 0.1) occurring after a steep decrease. The flux at minimum is compatible with the intrinsic emission of the O-stars in the system, suggesting a possible disappearance of colliding wind emission. While this minimum cannot be explained by eclipse or occultation effects, a shock collapse may occur at periastron in view of the wind properties. Afterwards, the recovery is long, with an X-ray flux proportional to the separation d (in hard band) or to d[SUP]2[/SUP] (in soft band). This is incompatible with an adiabatic nature for the collision (which would instead lead to F[SUB]X[/SUB] ∝ 1 /d), but could be reconciled with a radiative character of the collision, though predicted temperatures are lower and more variable than in observations. An increase in flux around φ 0.65 and the global asymmetry of the light curve remain unexplained, however. Based on observations collected with Swift and the ESA science mission XMM-Newton, an ESA Science Mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and the USA (NASA). [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 16 (3 ULiège) Constraining the geometry and kinematics of the quasar broad emission line region using gravitational microlensing. I. Models and simulationsBraibant, Lorraine ; Hutsemekers, Damien ; Sluse, Dominique et alin Astronomy and Astrophysics (2017), 607Recent studies have shown that line profile distortions are commonly observed in gravitationally lensed quasar spectra. Often attributed to microlensing differential magnification, line profile ... [more ▼]Recent studies have shown that line profile distortions are commonly observed in gravitationally lensed quasar spectra. Often attributed to microlensing differential magnification, line profile distortions can provide information on the geometry and kinematics of the broad emission line region (BLR) in quasars. We investigate the effect of gravitational microlensing on quasar broad emission line profiles and their underlying continuum, combining the emission from simple representative BLR models with generic microlensing magnification maps. Specifically, we considered Keplerian disk, polar, and equatorial wind BLR models of various sizes. The effect of microlensing has been quantified with four observables: μ[SUP]BLR[/SUP], the total magnification of the broad emission line; μ[SUP]cont[/SUP], the magnification of the underlying continuum; as well as red/blue, RBI and wings/core, WCI, indices that characterize the line profile distortions. The simulations showed that distortions of line profiles, such as those recently observed in lensed quasars, can indeed be reproduced and attributed to the differential effect of microlensing on spatially separated regions of the BLR. While the magnification of the emission line μ[SUP]BLR[/SUP] sets an upper limit on the BLR size and, similarly, the magnification of the continuum μ[SUP]cont[/SUP] sets an upper limit on the size of the continuum source, the line profile distortions mainly depend on the BLR geometry and kinematics. We thus built (WCI,RBI) diagrams that can serve as diagnostic diagrams to discriminate between the various BLR models on the basis of quantitative measurements. It appears that a strong microlensing effect puts important constraints on the size of the BLR and on its distance to the high-magnification caustic. In that case, BLR models with different geometries and kinematics are more prone to produce distinctive line profile distortions for a limited number of caustic configurations, which facilitates their discrimination. When the microlensing effect is weak, there is a larger overlap between the characteristics of the line profile distortions produced by the different models, and constraints can only be derived on a statistical basis. [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 27 (3 ULiège) Improving fungal disease forecasts in winter wheat: A critical role of intra-day variations of meteorological conditions in the development of Septoria leaf blotchEl Jarroudi, Moussa ; kOUADIO, Louis; EL JARROUDI, Mustapha et alin Field Crops Research (2017), 213Meteorological conditions are important factors in the development of fungal diseases in winter wheat and are the main inputs of the decision support systems used to forecast disease and thus determine ... [more ▼]Meteorological conditions are important factors in the development of fungal diseases in winter wheat and are the main inputs of the decision support systems used to forecast disease and thus determine timing for efficacious fungicide application. This study uses the Fourier transform method (FTM) to characterize temporal patterns of meteorological conditions between two neighbouring experimental sites used in a regional fungal disease monitoring and forecasting experiment in Luxembourg. Three meteorological variables (air temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation) were included, all conducive to infection of wheat by Zymoseptoria tritici cause of Septoria leaf blotch (STB) in winter wheat, from 2006 to 2009. The intraday, diurnal, dekadal and intra-seasonal variations of the meteorological variables were assessed using FTM, and the impact of existing contrasts between sites on the development of STB was analyzed. Although STB severities varied between sites and years (P ≤ 0.0003), the results indicated that the two sites presented the same patterns of meteorological conditions when compared at larger temporal scales (diurnal to intra-seasonal scales, with time periods >11 h). However, the intraday variations of all the variables were well discriminated between the sites and were highly correlated to STB severities. Our findings highlight and confirm the importance of intraday meteorological variation in the development of STB in winter wheat fields. Furthermore, the FTM approach has potential for identifying microclimatic conditions prevailing at given sites and could help in improving the prediction of disease forecast models used in regional warning systems. [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 26 (3 ULiège) Ultrasonic roll bite measurements in cold rolling - roll stress and deformationCarretta, Yves; Hunter, Andrew; Boman, Romain et alin Journal of Materials Processing Technology (2017), 249In cold rolling of thin metal strip, contact conditions between the work rolls and the strip are of great importance: roll deformations and their effect on strip thickness variation may lead to strip ... [more ▼]In cold rolling of thin metal strip, contact conditions between the work rolls and the strip are of great importance: roll deformations and their effect on strip thickness variation may lead to strip flatness defects and thickness inhomogeneity. To control the process, several online measurements are usually carried out such as the rolling load, forward slip and strip tensions at each stand. Shape defects of the strip are usually evaluated after the last stand of a rolling mill thanks to a flatness measuring roll. However, none of these measurements is made within the roll bite itself due to the harsh conditions taking place in that area. This paper presents a sensor capable of monitoring roll deformations as well as roll radial stresses in situ and in real time. The sensor emits ultrasonic pulses that reflect from the roll surface. The time-of-flight (ToF) of the pulses is recorded during the testing. The sensor system was incorporated into a work roll and tested on a pilot rolling mill. Measurements were taken as steel strips were rolled under different strip elongation. Roll deformation and radial stresses obtained from the experimental data are in good agreement with numerical results computed with a cold rolling model developed in non-linear Finite Element software. [less ▲]Detailed reference viewed: 37 (11 ULiège)