Anisotropy vs chemical composition at ultra-high energies

This paper proposes and discusses a test of the chemical composition of ultra-high energy cosmic rays that relies on the anisotropy patterns measured as a function of energy. In particular, we show that if one records an anisotropy signal produced by heavy nuclei of charge Z above an energy E_{thr}, one should record an even stronger (possibly much stronger) anisotropy at energies >E_{thr}/Z due to the proton component that is expected to be associated with the sources of the heavy nuclei. This conclusion remains robust with respect to the parameters characterizing the sources and it does not depend at all on the modelling of astrophysical magnetic fields. As a concrete example, we apply this test to the most recent data of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Assuming that the anisotropy reported above 55EeV is not a statistical accident, and that no significant anisotropy has been observed at energies <10EeV, we show that the apparent clustering toward Cen A cannot be attributed to heavy nuclei. Similar conclusions are drawn regarding the apparent excess correlation with nearby active galactic nuclei. We then discuss a robust lower bound to the magnetic luminosity that a source must possess in order to be able to accelerate particles of charge Z up to 100EeV, L_B>10^{45}Z^{-2}erg/s. Using this bound in conjunction with the above conclusions, we argue that the current PAO data does not support the model of cosmic ray origin in active radio-quiet or even radio-loud galaxies. Finally, we demonstrate that the apparent clustering in the direction of Cen A can be explained by the contribution of the last few gamma-ray bursts or magnetars in the host galaxy thanks to the scattering of the cosmic rays on the magnetized lobes.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Cost-Utility Analysis of Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Strategies for People Undergoing Elective Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement Surgeries in the English National Health Service

Background: Major orthopedic surgery, such as elective total hip replacement (eTHR) and elective total knee replacement (eTKR), are associated with a higher risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) than other surgical procedures. Little is known, however, about the cost-effectiveness of VTE prophylaxis strategies in people undergoing these procedures. Aim: The aim of this work was to assess the cost-effectiveness of these strategies from the English National Health Service perspective to inform NICE guideline (NG89) recommendations. Materials and Methods: Cost-utility analysis, using decision modeling, was undertaken to compare 15 VTE prophylaxis strategies for eTHR and 12 for eTKR, in addition to “no prophylaxis” strategy. The analysis complied with the NICE Reference Case. Structure and assumptions were agreed with the guideline committee. Incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) was calculated, vs. the model comparator (LMWH+ antiembolism stockings), at a threshold of £20,000/quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. The model was run probabilistically. Deterministic sensitivity analyses (SAs) were undertaken to assess the robustness of the results. Results: The most cost-effective strategies were LMWH for 10 days followed by aspirin for 28 days (INMB = £530 [95% CI: -£784 to £1,103], probability of being most cost-effective = 72%) for eTHR, and foot pump (INMB = £353 [95% CI: -£101 to £665]; probability of being most cost-effective = 18%) for eTKR. There was considerable uncertainty regarding the cost-effectiveness ranking in the eTKR analysis. The results were robust to change in all SAs. Conclusions: For eTHR, LMWH (standard dose) for 10 days followed by aspirin for 28 days is the most cost-effective VTE prophylaxis strategy. For eTKR, the results are highly uncertain but foot pump appeared to be the most cost-effective strategy, followed closely by aspirin (low dose). Future research should focus on assessing cost-effectiveness of VTE prophylaxis in the eTKR population.Peer reviewe

Doubly virtual Compton scattering and the beam normal spin asymmetry

We construct an invariant basis for Compton scattering with two virtual photons (VVCS). The basis tensors are chosen to be gauge invariant and orthogonal to each other. The properties of the corresponding 18 invariant amplitudes are studied in detail. We consider the special case of elastic VVCS with the virtualities of the initial and final photons equal. The invariant basis for VVCS in this orthogonal form does not exist in the literatur. We furthermore use this VVCS tensor for a calculation of the beam normal spin asymmetry in the forward kinematics. For this, we relate the invariant amplitudes to the helicity amplitudes of the VVCS reaction. The imaginary parts of these latter are related to the inclusive cross section by means of the optical theorem. We use the phenomenological value of the transverse cross section $\sigma_T\sim0.1$ mbarn and the Callan-Gross relation which relates the longitudinal cross section $\sigma_L$ to the transverse one. The result of the calculation agrees with an existing calculation and predicts the negative values of the asymmetry $B_n$ of the order of 4-6 ppm in the energy range from 6 to 45 ppm and for very forward angles.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, revtex, submitted to Phys. Rev. C; new version: two figures added, typos correcte

On the behaviour of the nuclear spectral function at high momentum and removal energy

The extrapolation of the nuclear spectral function at large nucleon three-momentum and removal energy is suggested.Comment: 13 pages, 2 Postscript figure

Threshold features in transport through a 1D constriction

Suppression of electron current $\Delta I$ through a 1D channel of length $L$ connecting two Fermi liquid reservoirs is studied taking into account the Umklapp electron-electron interaction induced by a periodic potential. This interaction causes Hubbard gaps $E_H$ for $L \to \infty$. In the perturbative regime where $E_H \ll v_c/L$ ($v_c:$ charge velocity), and for small deviations $\delta n$ of the electron density from its commensurate values $- \Delta I/V$ can diverge with some exponent as voltage or temperature $V,T$ decreases above $E_c=max(v_c/L,v_c \delta n)$, while it goes to zero below $E_c$. This results in a nonmonotonous behavior of the conductance.Comment: Final variant published in PRL, 79, 1714; minor correction

Probing Pseudo-Dirac Neutrino through Detection of Neutrino Induced Muons from GRB Neutrinos

The possibility to verify the pseudo-Dirac nature of neutrinos is investigated here via the detection of ultra high energy neutrinos from distant cosmological objects like GRBs. The very long baseline and the energy range from $\sim$ TeV to $\sim$ EeV for such neutrinos invokes the likelihood to probe very small pseude-Dirac splittings. The expected secondary muons from such neutrinos that can be detected by a kilometer scale detector such as ICECUBE is calculated. The pseudo-Dirac nature, if exists, will show a considerable departure from flavour oscillation scenario in the total yield of the secondary muons induced by such neutrinos.Comment: 11 pages, 3figure

What it takes to measure a fundamental difference between dark matter and baryons: the halo velocity anisotropy

Numerous ongoing experiments aim at detecting WIMP dark matter particles from the galactic halo directly through WIMP-nucleon interactions. Once such a detection is established a confirmation of the galactic origin of the signal is needed. This requires a direction-sensitive detector. We show that such a detector can measure the velocity anisotropy beta of the galactic halo. Cosmological N-body simulations predict the dark matter anisotropy to be nonzero, beta~0.2. Baryonic matter has beta=0 and therefore a detection of a nonzero beta would be strong proof of the fundamental difference between dark and baryonic matter. We estimate the sensitivity for various detector configurations using Monte Carlo methods and we show that the strongest signal is found in the relatively few high recoil energy events. Measuring beta to the precision of ~0.03 will require detecting more than 10^4 WIMP events with nuclear recoil energies greater than 100 keV for a WIMP mass of 100 GeV and a 32S target. This number corresponds to ~10^6 events at all energies. We discuss variations with respect to input parameters and we show that our method is robust to the presence of backgrounds and discuss the possible improved sensitivity for an energy-sensitive detector.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, accepted by JCAP. Matches accepted versio