Neutrino induced charged-current coherent ρ\rho production

We present the latest results of coherent $\rho$ (Coh$\rho$) production using the large data set collected by the NOMAD detector in which the momenta, charges, and photons are precisely measured. We discuss the application of using Coh$\rho$ process to constrain the neutrino flux with the proposed Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment Near Detector, the high resolution Straw Tube Tracker.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, NuFact 2013 proceeding which will be appeared in the Open Access Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS

Simple solutions to the fabrication of textured and porous coatings

Functional coatings can change the surface properties of the substrate, add entirely new surface functionalities, or preserve the substrate. They provide solutions to many key engineering problems where different functionalities between the surface and the bulk are required. Among them, textured coatings are characterized by their surface roughness, film porosity, and surface chemistry. They are useful for applications ranging from superhydrophobic surfaces to artificial implants to thermal barrier coatings. However, the use and deployment of new coating methods are hampered in real applications due to the lack of a comprehensive consideration of the associated issues. In this thesis, two deposition methods were studied to solve two critical problems in coating fabrication, respectively. Their preparation procedures were designed according to the criteria of simple solutions which are inexpensive, reliable, predictable, highly performing, “stackable” (i.e., they can be combined and compounded with little increase in complexity), and “hackable” (i.e., they can be easily modified and optimized). The first method is to solve the demanding problem of the outdoor use of superhydrophobic coatings that must satisfy multiple demands (scalability, adhesion to curved surfaces, thermal expansion compatibility, UV radiation, wear tolerance, etc.). Most of the methods reported in literature and commercial solutions do not meet all the requirements. Our solution is to use silicones (a common type polymer) and their thermal decomposition (a self-structuring process) by flames (a high throughput tool). The second method is to simplify the fabrication of nanocrystalline mesoporous thin film coatings with controlled porosity and surface chemistry, good mechanical properties for device integration. Mesoporous thin films built directly from nanocrystals are desirable for many applications, but the use of ligand-capped colloidal nanocrystals has been so far prevented by the presence of ligands, and the low porosity of the assembly. Our solution is to combine two concepts: (i) the increase of porosity in disordered assemblies of anisotropic building blocks with their aspect ratios, and (ii) the complete removal of ligands and the surface chemistry tuning provided by plasma processing. The performances and mechanisms of the two type of coatings were studied. The simplicity of the two solutions was then discussed

Mediating Roles of Gratitude and Social Support in the Relation Between Survivor Guilt and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Posttraumatic Growth Among Adolescents After the Ya’an Earthquake

Objective: This study aims to examine the mediating roles of gratitude and social support in the relationship between survivor guilt and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as the relationship between survivor guilt and posttraumatic growth (PTG).Methods: The current study used self-report questionnaires to investigate 706 adolescent survivors of Lushan county three and a half years after the Ya’an earthquake. The structural equation model was used to evaluate the relations between survivor guilt, gratitude and social support in PTSD and PTG.Results: The results indicated that survivor guilt had a positive effect on both PTSD and PTG. Gratitude partly mediated the relation between survivor guilt and both PTSD and PTG; social support partly mediated the relation between survivor guilt and PTG but not PTSD as well as the relation between gratitude and PTG.Conclusion: Survivor guilt has a double-edged sword effect. Survivor guilt affects PTSD and PTG through gratitude, and it could affect PTG but not PTSD through social support. Gratitude decreases PTSD and increases PTG, whereas social support only increases PTG

Direct Observations of Field-Intensity-Dependent Dielectric Breakdown Mechanisms in TiO2 Single Nanocrystals

One of the main challenges for next-generation electric power systems and electronics is to avoid premature dielectric breakdown in insulators and capacitors and to ensure reliable operations at higher electric fields and higher efficiencies. However, dielectric breakdown is a complex phenomenon and often involves many different processes simultaneously. Here we show distinctly different defect-related and intrinsic breakdown processes by studying individual, single-crystalline TiO2 nanoparticles using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As the applied electric field intensity rises, rutile-to-anatase phase transition, local amorphization/melting, and ablation are identified as the corresponding breakdown processes, the field intensity thresholds of which are found to be related to the position of the intensified field and the duration of the applied bias relative to the time of charged defects accumulation. Our observations reveal an intensity-dependent dielectric response of crystalline oxides at breakdown and suggest possible routes to suppress the initiation of premature dielectric breakdown. Hence, they will aid the design and development of next-generation robust and efficient solid dielectrics

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure

Motion of phase boundary during antiferroelectric–ferroelectric transition in a PbZrO3-based ceramic

The in situ biasing transmission electron microscopy technique is employed to investigate the nucleation and growth of the ferroelectric phase during the electric field-induced phase transition in Pb0.99{Nb0.02[(Zr0.57Sn0.43)0.94Ti0.06]0.98}O3, a PbZrO3-based antiferroelectric ceramic. The first-order displacive phase transition is found to be highly reversible with the initial antiferroelectric domain configuration almost completely recovered upon removal of the applied field. In the forward transition from the antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phase, {100}c facets are dominant on the phase boundary; while in the reverse transition from the ferroelectric to antiferroelectric phase during bias unloading, the phase boundary is segmented into {101}c and {121}c facets. The motion of the phase boundary is nonuniform, taking the form of sequential sweeping of facet segments. The elastic distortion energy and the depolarization energy at the antiferroelectric/ferroelectric phase boundary is suggested to dictate the facet motion