Macro detection using fluorescence detectors

Macroscopic dark matter (aka macros) constitutes a broad class of alternatives to particulate dark matter. We calculate the luminosity produced by the passage of a single macro as a function of its physical cross section. A general detection scheme is developed for measuring the fluorescence caused by a passing macro in the atmosphere that is applicable to any ground based or space based Fluorescence Detecting (FD) telescopes. In particular, we employ this scheme to constrain the parameter space (\sigma_{x} \mbox{ vs} \mbox{ M}_{x}) of macros than can be probed by the Pierre Auger Observatory and by the Extreme Universe Space Observatory onboard the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-EUSO). It is of particular significance that both detectors are sensitive to macros of nuclear density, since most candidates that have been explored (excepting primordial black holes) are expected to be of approximately nuclear density.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, 2 tabl

Neutrino Electromagnetic Properties and the Weak Mixing Angle at the LHC Forward Physics Facility

The LHC produces an intense beam of highly energetic neutrinos of all three flavors in the forward direction, and the Forward Physics Facility (FPF) has been proposed to house a suite of experiments taking advantage of this opportunity. In this study, we investigate the FPF's potential to probe the neutrino electromagnetic properties, including neutrino millicharge, magnetic moment, and charge radius. We find that, due to the large flux of tau neutrinos at the LHC, the FPF detectors will be able to provide the strongest laboratory-based sensitivity to the tau neutrino magnetic moment and millicharge by searching for excess in low recoil energy electron scattering events. We also find that, by precisely measuring the rate of neutral current deep inelastic scattering events, the FPF detectors have the potential to obtain the strongest experimental bounds on the neutrino charge radius for the electron neutrino, and one of the leading bounds for the muon neutrino flavor. The same signature could also be used to measure the weak mixing angle, and we estimate that $\sin^2 \theta_W$ could be measured to about $3\%$ precision at a scale $Q \sim 10$ GeV, shedding new light on the long-standing NuTeV anomaly.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Hadrophilic Dark Sectors at the Forward Physics Facility

Models with light dark sector and dark matter particles motivate qualitatively new collider searches. Here we carry out a comprehensive study of hadrophilic models with U(1)$_B$ and U(1)$_{B-3L_{\tau}}$ gauge bosons coupled to light dark matter. The new mediator particles in these models couple to quarks, but have suppressed couplings to leptons, providing a useful foil to the well-studied dark photon models. We consider current bounds from accelerator and collider searches, rare anomaly-induced decays, neutrino non-standard interactions, and dark matter direct detection. Despite the many existing constraints, these models predict a range of new signatures that can be seen in current and near future experiments, including dark gauge boson decays to the hadronic final states $\pi^+ \pi^- \pi^0$, $\pi^0 \gamma$, $K^+ K^-$, and $K_S K_L$ in FASER at LHC Run 3, enhancements of $\nu_{\tau}$ scattering rates in far-forward neutrino detectors, and thermal dark matter scattering in FLArE in the HL-LHC era. These models therefore motivate an array of different experiments in the far-forward region at the LHC, as could be accommodated in the proposed Forward Physics Facility

Task shifting to frontline community health workers for improved Diabetes care in low-resource settings in India : A phase II Non-randomized controlled clinical trial

Acknowledgments: We are indebted to the our research team who worked passionately to complete the study, health workers who were willing to function as patient navigators to improve diabetes management, and to all the participants who responded to our screening invitations and structured care Funding: We acknowledge the funding received from Friends of Vellore, UK and NHS Grampian Endowment fund, University of Aberdeen- Approval Number: EA0852Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Techno–economic investigation into nuclear centred steel manufacturing

Thesis (M.Ing. (Nuclear Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.With the rising electricity, raw material and fossil fuel prices, as well as the relatively low selling price of steel, the steel industry has been put under strain to produce steel as cost–effectively as possible. Ideally the industry requires a cost–effective, stable source of energy to cater for its electricity and energy needs. Modern High Temperature Reactors are in a position to provide industries with not only electricity, but also process heat. Therefore, a study was conducted into the economic viability of centering the steel industry on nuclear power. This study considered 3 technology options: a nuclear facility to cater for solely the electricity needs of the steel industry; a nuclear facility producing hydrogen for the process needs of the steel industry; and a nuclear facility co–generating electricity and process heat for the steel industry. An economic model for each of the 3 scenarios was developed that factored in the various cost considerations for each of the 3 options. In general, this included the construction costs, operational and maintenance cost, build time and interest rate of the financed amount. For each option, the model calculated the cost of production per unit output. The outputs were electricity for option 1, hydrogen for option 2, and both electricity and process heat for option 3. Each model was optimised based on a realistic best case scenario for the capital and operational costs and respective best case cost per unit outputs for each of the options were calculated. Using the optimised cost model, it was shown that electricity produced from nuclear power was more cost effective than current electricity prices in South Africa. Similarly, it was shown that a nuclear facility could produce heat at a more cost–effective means than by the combustion of natural gas. Hydrogen proved to be not cost effective compared to reformed natural gas as a reducing agent for iron ore. Based on the cost savings, a cash–flow analysis showed that the payback period for a nuclear power plant that produced electricity for the steel industry would be around 12 years at 0% interest and 15 years at 5% interest. Due to the long payback period and lack of certainty in the steel industry, any steel manufacturer would opt for purchasing electricity from a nuclear based electricity utility rather than building a facility themselves. Savings of over $70 million/year were achievable for a 2 million tonne/year electric arc furnace. Overall this analysis showed that electricity generation is the only viable means for nuclear power to be integrated with the steel manufacturing industry.Master