Behavioural responses of threespine stickleback with lateral line asymmetries to experimental mechanosensory stimuli

Behavioural asymmetry, typically referred to as laterality, is widespread among bilaterians and is often associated with asymmetry in brain structure. However, the influence of sensory receptor asymmetry on laterality has undergone limited investigation. Here we use threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to investigate the influence of lateral line asymmetry on laterality during lab simulations of three mechanosensation-dependent behaviours: predator evasion, prey localization and rheotaxis. We recorded the response of stickleback to impacts at the water surface and water flow in photic conditions and low-frequency oscillations in the dark, across four repeat trials. We then compared individuals’ laterality to asymmetry in the number of neuromasts on either side of their body. Stickleback hovered with their right side against the arena wall 57% of the time (P<0.001) in illuminated surface impact trials and 56% of the time in (P=0.085) dark low-frequency stimulation trials. Light regime modulated the effect of neuromast count on laterality, as fish with more neuromasts were more likely to hover with the wall on their right during illumination (P=0.007) but were less likely to do so in darkness (P=0.025). Population level laterality diminished in later trials across multiple behaviours and individuals did not show a consistent side bias in any behaviours. Our results demonstrate a complex relationship between sensory structure asymmetry and laterality, suggesting that laterality is modulated multiple sensory modalities and temporally dynamic.

The spectral line asymmetry of the Doppler effect in relativistic plasmas

{In this work, we present a comparative study between the relativistic and non- relativistic Doppler effects on spectral line profiles in ultra-hot plasmas at the laboratory system. We have established an exact formula of the relativistic Doppler profile in ultra-high-temperature plasma that is not a Gaussian one (unlike the nonrelativistic Doppler profile that is Gaussian). We have also derived a new FWHM (Full Width at Half Maximum) formula of the corresponding profile that is different from the non-relativistic FWHM (sqrtlog(T=M)). We have also shown that, in the relativistic case, Doppler broadening exhibits an asymmetry of spectral line profile (non- gaussian profile). To ensure the validity of our investigation, we have compared our theoretical calculation with the experimental results that shows a good agreement.

Scaling of magnetic reconnection with a limited x-line extent

<p>Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental physical process that is responsible for releasing the magnetic energy during substorms of planetary magnetotails. Previous studies of magnetic reconnection usually take the two-dimensional (2D) approach, which assumes that reconnection is uniform in the 3rd direction out of the 2D reconnection plane. However, observations suggest that reconnection can be limited in the 3rd direction, such as reconnection at Mercury's magnetotail. It turns out that reconnection can be suppressed when reconnection region is very limited in the 3rd direction. An internal x-line asymmetry along the current direction develops because of the transport of reconnected magnetic flux by electrons beneath the ion kinetic scale, resulting in a suppression region identified in Liu et al., 2019. Under the guidance of a series of 3D kinetic simulations, in this work, we incorporate the length-scale of this suppression region ~10d<sub>i</sub> to quantitatively model the reduction of the reconnection rate and the maximum outflow speed observed in the short x-line limit. The average reconnection rate drops because of the limited active region (where the current sheet thins down to the electron inertial scale) within an x-line. The outflow speed reduction correlates with the decrease of the <strong>J</strong>×<strong>B</strong> force, that can be modeled by the phase shift between the <strong>J</strong> and <strong>B</strong> profiles, also as a consequence of the flux transport. Notably, these two quantities are most essential in defining the well-being of magnetic reconnection, which can tell us when reconnection shall be suppressed.</p>

Scaling of magnetic reconnection with a limited x-line extent

<p>Contrary to all the 2D models, where the reconnection x-line extent is infinitely long, we study magnetic reconnection in the opposite limit. The scaling of the average reconnection rate and outflow speed are modeled as a function of the x-line extent. An internal x-line asymmetry along the current direction develops because of the flux transport by electrons beneath the ion kinetic scale, and it plays an important role in suppressing reconnection in the short x-line limit; the average reconnection rate drops because of the limited active region, and the outflow speed reduction is associated with the reduction of the <strong>J</strong>×<strong>B</strong> force, that is caused by the phase shift between the <strong>J</strong> and <strong>B</strong> profiles, also as a consequence of this flux transport.</p>