Physiological advantages may contribute to successful invasion of the exotic Cyprinus carpio into the Xingyun Lake, China

Feeding and growth traits of Cyprinus carpio and Cyprinus pellegrini (both at age-0) were compared in three experiment, in an attempt to analyze potential causes for the displacement of the native C. pellegrini in the Xingyun Lake, Yuxi, Yunan, China. Experiment I was conducted in water which fluctuated between 15 and 20 degrees C. Experiment II and III were conducted in a laboratory and water temperature was maintained between 20 degrees C and 25 degrees C, respectively. Three common trends were noted for all three experiments: (1) feeding rate of C. carpio was lower than that of C. pellegrini, and this difference was found to be significant in experiment I; (2) growth rate of C. carpio was higher than C. pellegrini, and the difference was found to be significant in experiment II; (3) food conversion efficiency and energy retention efficiency for C. carpio were higher than those of C. pellegrini, and significant differences were noted in experiment I and II. Since the growth period for fish in the Xingyun Lake generally occurs when water temperatures are between 15 and 25 degrees C, it can be suggested that C. carpio has advantages over C. pellegrini in growth and food utilization efficiency, and lower food consumption than C. pellegrini. These physiological traits of C. carpio might allow this species to be more resistant to food shortage and predation, and may be partially responsible for the displacement of C. pellegrini by C. carpio.

Diet overlap between the endemic fish Anablariflus grahami(Cyprinidae) and the exotic noodlefish Neosalanx taihuensis (Salangidae) in lake Fuxian, China

We studied diet composition and overlap of the exotic noodlefish (Neosalanx taihuensis) and the endemic fish Anaborilius grahami in a deep, oligotrophic lake in the Yunnan Plateau. A. grahami dominated the fish community in Lake Fuxian before the invasion of N. taihuensis in 1982, but it is now in the process of extinction, corresponding with an explosive increase in N. taihuensis population. Schoener's index (alpha=0.773) indicate that N. taihuensis and A. grahami have significant diet overlap, with both fish feeding mainly on zooplankton. An increased proportion of littoral prey, such as Procladius spp., Coleoptera, and epiphytes, in the diet of A. grahami indicated that this endemic fish shifted its main habitat from the off-shore zone in the late 1980s to the littoral zone at the present. A difference in reproduction between the two fishes, along with the overfishing, may have exacerbated the occupation of A. grahami's pelagic niche by N. taihuensis. The endemic species has shown large competitive disadvantage for food and space in the presence of N. taihuensis.

Influence of exotic Mn on magnetic properties of YCo5.0-xMnxGa7.0 (0.05 <= x <= 3.0)

The YCo5.0-xMnxGa7.0 compounds crystallize with the ScFe6Ga6-type structure. The lattice of YCo5.0-xMnxGa7.0 expands with the increase of the Mn content for 0.05 <= x <= 2.5, but the lattice of YCo2.0Mn3.0Ga7.0 shrinks compared with YCo2.5Mn2.5Ga7.0. The shrinkage of the lattice is attributed to the magnetostriction of YCo2.0Mn3.0Ga7.0. The substitution of Mn for Co forms magnetic clusters in the antiferromagnetic matrix. The magnetic frustration results in the spin-glass-like behavior for 0.8 <= x <= 1.5 and the difference between zero-field-cooling (ZFC) and field-cooling (FC) magnetizations for x = 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0. A stable long-range magnetic ordering appears among the Mn-centered magnetic clusters with the ordering temperature 110 K for x = 2.0. The hump in the thermomagnetization of YCo3.0Mn2.0Ga7.0 can be attributed to the competitive effects between the thermal fluctuation and the enhanced magnetic interaction. Both the hump and the bifurcation between the ZFC and the FC magnetizations of YCo3.0Mn2.0Ga7.0 occur at lower temperatures as the applied field increases. On the two-step magnetization curve of YCo3.0Mn2.0Ga7.0, the inflection point at 4000 Oe is due to the coercive field, and the magnetic moments in the clusters are tilted to the applied field above 4000 Oe. The magnetic ordering temperature is further increased to 210 K for x = 2.5 and to 282 K for x = 3.0. The spontaneous magnetization of YCo2.0Mn3.0Ga7.0 is 0.575 mu B/f.u. at 5 K with a canted magnetic structure.

Studies on the exotic structure of Al-23

The longitudinal momentum distribution (P-//) of fragments after one-proton removal from Al-23 and reaction cross sections (sigma(R)) for Al-23,Al-24 on carbon target at 74A MeV have been measured simultaneously. An enhancement in sigma(R) is observed for Al-23 compaxed with Al-24. The full width at half maximum of the P-// distribution for Mg-22 fragments has been determined to be 232 +/- 28 MeV/c. Analysis of P-// using the Few-Body Glauber Model indicates a dominant d-wave configuration for the valence proton in the ground state of Al-23. The exotic structure in Al-23 is discussed.

Efficiency calibration of neutron detector array for beta decay of exotic nuclei

The research of the in-beam efficiency calibration of Neutron Detector Array of Peking University using N-17 and C-16 beams was introduced in this paper. The efficiency of neutron wall and ball are comparable to the foreign similar devices and neutrons can be detected from low to high energies in high efficiency.

High-spin isomeric structures in exotic odd-odd nuclei: Exploration of the proton drip line and beyond

We investigate the role of two-quasiparticle isomeric states along the proton drip line, using configuration-constrained potential-energy-surface calculations. In contrast to even-even nuclei, odd-odd nuclei can have coexisting low-lying two-quasiparticle states. The low excitation energy and high angular momentum can lead to long-lived isomers. Also, because of the hindrance by spin selection, the probabilities of beta and proton decays from high-spin isomers can be reduced significantly. The present calculations reproduce reasonably well the available data for observed isomers in such nuclei. Unobserved high-spin isomers are predicted, which could be useful for future experimental studies of exotic nuclei at and beyond the proton drip line.

Exotic behavior of elastic scattering differential cross-sections of weakly bound nucleus F-17 at small angles

The differential cross-sections for elastic scattering of F-17 and O-17 on Pb-208 have been measured at Radioactive Ion Beam Line at Lanzhou (RIBLL). The variation of the logarithms of differential cross-sections with the square of scattering angles shows clearly that there exists a turning point in the range of small scattering angles (6 degrees-20 degrees) for F-17 having exotic structure, while no turning point was observed in the O-17 elastic scattering. The experimental results have been compared with previous data. Systematical analysis on the available data seems to conclude that there is an exotic behavior of elastic scattering differential cross-sections of weakly bound nuclei with halo or skin structure as compared with that of the ordinary nuclei near stable line. Therefore the fact that the turning point of the logarithms of differential cross-sections appears at small angle for weakly bound nuclei could be used as a new probe to investigate the halo and skin phenomenon.