The MSW effect and Matter Effects in Neutrino Oscillations

The MSW (Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein) effect is the adiabatic or partially adiabatic neutrino flavor conversion in medium with varying density. The main notions related to the effect, its dynamics and physical picture are reviewed. The large mixing MSW effect is realized inside the Sun providing the solution of the solar neutrino problem. The small mixing MSW effect driven by the 1-3 mixing can be realized for the supernova (SN) neutrinos. Inside the collapsing stars new elements of the MSW dynamics may show up: the non-oscillatory transition, non-adiabatic conversion, time dependent adiabaticity violation induced by shock waves. Effects of the resonance enhancement and the parametric enhancement of oscillations can be realized for the atmospheric and accelerator neutrinos in the Earth. Precise results for neutrino oscillations in the low density medium with arbitrary density profile are presented and the attenuation effect is described. The area of applications is the solar and SN neutrinos inside the Earth, and the results are crucial for the neutrino oscillation tomography.Comment: 18 pages, latex, 6 figures, talk given at the Nobel Symposium 129, ``Neutrino Physics'', Haga Slott, August 19 - 24, 200

A Study of the Day - Night Effect for the Super - Kamiokande Detector: I. Time Averaged Solar Neutrino Survival Probability

This is the first of two articles aimed at providing comprehensive predictions for the day-night (D-N) effect for the Super-Kamiokande detector in the case of the MSW \nu_e \to \numt transition solution of the solar neutrino problem. The one-year averaged probability of survival of the solar \nue crossing the Earth mantle, the core, the inner 2/3 of the core, and the (core + mantle) is calculated with high precision (better than 1%) using the elliptical orbit approximation (EOA) to describe the Earth motion around the Sun. Results for the survival probability in the indicated cases are obtained for a large set of values of the MSW transition parameters $\Delta m^2$ and $sin^22\theta_{V}$ from the ``conservative'' regions of the MSW solution, derived by taking into account possible relatively large uncertainties in the values of the $^{8}$B and $^{7}$Be neutrino fluxes. Our results show that the one-year averaged D-N asymmetry in the $\nu_e$ survival probability for neutrinos crossing the Earth core can be, in the case of $sin^22 \theta_{V} \leq 0.13$, larger than the asymmetry in the probability for (only mantle crossing + core crossing) neutrinos by a factor of up to six. The enhancement is larger in the case of neutrinos crossing the inner 2/3 of the core. This indicates that the Super-Kamiokande experiment might be able to test the $sin^22\theta_{V} \leq 0.01$ region of the MSW solution of the solar neutrino problem by performing selective D-N asymmetry measurements.Comment: LaTeX2e - 18 Text Pages + 21 figures = 39 Pages. - Figures in PS + text file sk1b14.tex requires two auxiliary files (included

Theoretical Prospects of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

The compelling experimental evidences for oscillations of solar and atmospheric neutrinos imply the existence of 3-neutrino mixing in vacuum. We briefly review the phenomenology of 3-neutrino mixing, and the current data on the 3-neutrino mixing parameters. The open questions and the main goals of future research in the field of neutrino mixing and oscillations are outlined. The predictions for the effective Majorana mass || in neutrinoless double beta (bb0nu-) decay in the case of 3-neutrino mixing and massive Majorana neutrinos are reviewed. The physics potential of the experiments, searching for bb0nu-decay and having sensitivity approximately 10 times better than the presently reached, for providing information on the type of the neutrino mass spectrum, on the absolute scale of neutrino masses and on the Majorana CP-violation phases in the PMNS neutrino mixing matrix, is discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 2 postscript figures, LATEX; Invited talk given at the Nobel Symposium (N 129) on Neutrino Physics, August 19 - 24, 2004, Haga Slott, Enkoping, Swede

Accelerator and Reactor Neutrino Oscillation Experiments in a Simple Three-Generation Framework

We present a new approach to the analysis of neutrino oscillation experiments, in the one mass-scale limit of the three-generation scheme. In this framework we reanalyze and recombine the most constraining accelerator and reactor data, in order to draw precise bounds in the new parameter space. We consider our graphical representations as particularly suited to show the interplay among the different oscillation channels. Within the same framework, the discovery potential of future short and long baseline experiments is also investigated, in the light of both the recent signal from the LSND experiment and the atmospheric neutrino anomaly.Comment: uuencoded compressed tar file. Figures (13) available by ftp to ftp://eku.sns.ias.edu/pub/lisi/ (192.16.204.30). Submitted to Physical Review

Energy loss of pions and electrons of 1 to 6 GeV/c in drift chambers operated with Xe,CO2(15%)

We present measurements of the energy loss of pions and electrons in drift chambers operated with a Xe,CO2(15%) mixture. The measurements are carried out for particle momenta from 1 to 6 GeV/c using prototype drift chambers for the ALICE TRD. Microscopic calculations are performed using input parameters calculated with GEANT3. These calculations reproduce well the measured average and most probable values for pions, but a higher Fermi plateau is required in order to reproduce our electron data. The widths of the measured distributions are smaller for data compared to the calculations. The electron/pion identification performance using the energy loss is also presented.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Nucl.Instrum.Meth.

Neutrino Masses and Mixing: Evidence and Implications

Measurements of various features of the fluxes of atmospheric and solar neutrinos have provided evidence for neutrino oscillations and therefore for neutrino masses and mixing. We review the phenomenology of neutrino oscillations in vacuum and in matter. We present the existing evidence from solar and atmospheric neutrinos as well as the results from laboratory searches, including the final status of the LSND experiment. We describe the theoretical inputs that are used to interpret the experimental results in terms of neutrino oscillations. We derive the allowed ranges for the mass and mixing parameters in three frameworks: First, each set of observations is analyzed separately in a two-neutrino framework; Second, the data from solar and atmospheric neutrinos are analyzed in a three active neutrino framework; Third, the LSND results are added, and the status of accommodating all three signals in the framework of three active and one sterile light neutrinos is presented. We review the theoretical implications of these results: the existence of new physics, the estimate of the scale of this new physics and the lessons for grand unified theories, for supersymmetric models with R-parity violation, for models of extra dimensions and singlet fermions in the bulk, and for flavor models.Comment: Added note on the effects of KamLAND results. Two new figure

Analysis of Vaccinal Process Peculiarities in Persons Immunized with Smallpox Live Vaccine in Case of Primary Vaccination and Revaccination

Immunization against smallpox may be attended by serious complications. The premises for the differences in postvaccinal reaction intensity are underexplored. In this paper presented is the review of peculiarities of postvaccinal manifestations in members of the Russian population primarily immunized against smallpox as compared to the revaccinated ones. Examined has been the cohort of 217 people, of whom 82 are vaccinated initially, and 135 - repeatedly within the period from 2000 to 2013. Average age of the vaccinated is 40.0 years (ranged 20 to 40). Studied has been severity of vaccine-challenged condition and cutaneous inflammatory vaccinal elements. In case of initial vaccination medium severity has been observed 2.1 times oftener than low one. In case of revaccination - low level of severity has been registered 17.7 times more frequently than the medium one. Hyperemia zone is 2.2 times greater as regards primary vaccination compared to revaccination, zone of induration - 1.9 times. The diameter of the sore is 1.3 and its shedding time is 1.4 times greater and longer, respectively. Thus, initial vaccination follows more severe course and is attended by expressed response in comparison to booster one

ВПЧ-СТАТУС РАКА МОЧЕВОГО ПУЗЫРЯ, МОРФОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ ОПУХОЛИ И КЛИНИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ ЗАБОЛЕВАНИЯ

The data of medical records of 101 patients with urothelial bladder cancer (BC) were compared with the results of laboratory detection of human papillomaviruses (HPV) in the tumor tissue samples taken from these patients during transurethral resection. DNA of HPV 16, the major type of the virus responsible for the occurrence of cervical cancer, was previously detected in 38 samples; and oncogenes E6 and E7 mRNA and HPV 16 E7 oncoprotein were found in 13 of these samples. Comparison of HPV-positive and HPV-negative groups revealed that HPV-positive BC showed higher cell anaplasia than HPV-negative one; moreover, primary cancer was HPV-positive more frequently than recurrent cancer. Sex, age, muscular layer invasion did not correlate with the HPV positivity of BC. Проведено сопоставление данных историй болезни 101 больного уротелиальным раком мочевого пузыря (РМП) с результатами лабораторной детекции вирусов папиллом человека (ВПЧ) в образцах опухолевой ткани, взятой у этих пациентов во время транс-уретральной резекции. Ранее ДНК ВПЧ-16, основного типа вируса, ответственного за возникновение рака шейки матки, была обнаружена в 38, а мРНК онкогенов Е6 и Е7 и онкобелок Е7 ВПЧ-16 – в 13 из этих образцов. При сравнении групп «ВПЧ-положительные» и «ВПЧ-отрицательные» выявлено, что ВПЧ-положительный РМП характеризуется более высокой степенью анаплазии клеток, чем ВПЧ-отрицательный, при этом первичный рак бывает ВПЧ-положительным чаще, чем рецидивный. Пол, возраст и инвазия в мышечный слой не коррелируют с ВПЧ-положительностью РМП.

Protein p16 as a marker of dysplastic and neoplastic alterations in cervical epithelial cells

BACKGROUND: Cervical carcinomas are second most frequent type of women cancer. Success in diagnostics of this disease is due to the use of Pap-test (cytological smear analysis). However Pap-test gives significant portion of both false-positive and false-negative conclusions. Amendments of the diagnostic procedure are desirable. Aetiological role of papillomaviruses in cervical cancer is established while the role of cellular gene alterations in the course of tumor progression is less clear. Several research groups including us have recently named the protein p16(INK4a )as a possible diagnostic marker of cervical cancer. To evaluate whether the specificity of p16(INK4a )expression in dysplastic and neoplastic cervical epithelium is sufficient for such application we undertook a broader immunochistochemical registration of this protein with a highly p16(INK4a)-specific monoclonal antibody. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded samples of diagnostic biopsies and surgical materials were used. Control group included vaginal smears of healthy women and biopsy samples from patients with cervical ectopia. We examined 197 samples in total. Monoclonal antibody E6H4 (MTM Laboratories, Germany) was used. RESULTS: In control samples we did not find any p16(INK4a)-positive cells. Overexpression of p16(INK4a )was detected in samples of cervical dysplasia (CINs) and carcinomas. The portion of p16(INK4a)-positive samples increased in the row: CIN I – CIN II – CIN III – invasive carcinoma. For all stages the samples were found to be heterogeneous with respect to p16(INK4a)-expression. Every third of CINs III and one invasive squamous cell carcinoma (out of 21 analyzed) were negative. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of the protein p16(INK4a )is typical for dysplastic and neoplastic epithelium of cervix uteri. However p16(INK4a)-negative CINs and carcinomas do exist. All stages of CINs and carcinomas analyzed are heterogeneous with respect to p16(INK4a )expression. So p16(INK4a)-negativity is not a sufficient reason to exclude a patient from the high risk group. As far as normal cervical epithelium is p16(INK4a)-negative and the ratio p16(INK4a)-positive/ p16(INK4a)-negative samples increases at the advanced stages application of immunohisto-/cytochemical test for p16(INK4a )may be regarded as a supplementary test for early diagnostics of cervical cancer