Consistent supersymmetric Kaluza--Klein truncations with massive modes

We construct consistent Kaluza--Klein reductions of D=11 supergravity to four dimensions using an arbitrary seven-dimensional Sasaki--Einstein manifold. At the level of bosonic fields, we extend the known reduction, which leads to minimal N=2 gauged supergravity, to also include a multiplet of massive fields, containing the breathing mode of the Sasaki--Einstein space, and still consistent with N=2 supersymmetry. In the context of flux compactifications, the Sasaki--Einstein reductions are generalizations of type IIA SU(3)-structure reductions which include both metric and form-field flux and lead to a massive universal tensor multiplet. We carry out a similar analysis for an arbitrary weak G_2 manifold leading to an N=1 supergravity with massive fields. The straightforward extension of our results to the case of the seven-sphere would imply that there is a four-dimensional Lagrangian with N=8 supersymmetry containing both massless and massive spin two fields. We use our results to construct solutions of M-theory with non-relativistic conformal symmetry.Comment: 33 pages. v2: Added section on skew-whiffed solutions and some brief comments on holographic superconductors. v3: typos corrected, version to be published in JHE

NR CFT3CFT_3 duals in M-theory

We extend the search for supergravity solution duals of non-relativistic $d=3$ CFTs to $d=11$ supergravity. We consider the internal space to be an $S^2$ bundle over a product base: $S^2 \times S^2$ and $S^2 \times T^2$. For purely M-theoretic $S^2 \times S^2$, we find only magnetic fluxes preserving two supersymmetries. $S^2 \times T^2$ is far richer admitting in addition to magnetic fluxes, various non-trivial electric fluxes which break all supersymmetry.Comment: 18 pages, Minor corrections and added reference

The Future Evolution of White Dwarf Stars Through Baryon Decay and Time Varying Gravitational Constant

Motivated by the possibility that the fundamental ``constants'' of nature could vary with time, this paper considers the long term evolution of white dwarf stars under the combined action of proton decay and variations in the gravitational constant. White dwarfs are thus used as a theoretical laboratory to study the effects of possible time variations, especially their implications for the future history of the universe. More specifically, we consider the gravitational constant $G$ to vary according to the parametric relation $G = G_0 (1 + t/t_\ast)^{-p}$, where the time scale $t_\ast$ is the same order as the proton lifetime. We then study the long term fate and evolution of white dwarf stars. This treatment begins when proton decay dominates the stellar luminosity, and ends when the star becomes optically thin to its internal radiation.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, accepted to Astrophysics and Space Scienc

National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series. Volume 10, Nickel-63

This report outlines the basic radiological, chemical, and physical characteristics of nickel-63 ({sup 63}Ni) and examines how these characteristics affect the behavior of {sup 63}Ni in various environmental media, such as soils, groundwater, plants, animals, the atmosphere, and the human body. Discussions also include methods of {sup 63}Ni production, waste types, and waste forms that contain {sup 63}Ni. The primary source of {sup 63}Ni in the environment has been low-level radioactive waste material generated as a result of neutron activation of stable {sup 62}Ni that is present in the structural components of nuclear reactor vessels. {sup 63}Ni enters the environment from the dismantling activities associated with nuclear reactor decommissioning. However, small amounts of {sup 63}Ni have been detected in the environment following the testing of thermonuclear weapons in the South Pacific. Concentrations as high as 2.7 Bq{sup a} per gram of sample (or equivalently 0.0022 parts per billion) were observed on Bikini Atoll (May 1954). {sup 63}Ni was not created as a fission product species (e.g., from {sup 235}U or {sup 239}Pu fissions), but instead was produced as a result of neutron capture in {sup 63}Ni, a common nickel isotope present in the stainless steel components of nuclear weapons (e.g., stainless-304 contains {approximately}9% total Ni or {approximately}0.3% {sup 63}Ni)

Anisotropic Flow from RHIC to the LHC

Anisotropic flow is recognized as one of the main observables providing information on the early stage of a heavy-ion collision. At RHIC the large observed anisotropic flow and its successful description by ideal hydrodynamics is considered evidence for an early onset of thermalization and almost ideal fluid properties of the produced strongly coupled Quark Gluon Plasma. This write-up discusses some key RHIC anisotropic flow measurements and for anisotropic flow at the LHC some predictions.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, hotquarks 200

Sustainable synthesis of enantiopure fluorolactam derivatives by a selective direct fluorination – amidase strategy

Pharmaceutically important chiral fluorolactam derivatives bearing a fluorine atom at a stereogenic centre were synthesized by a route involving copper catalyzed selective direct fluorination using fluorine gas for the construction of the key C–F bond and a biochemical amidase process for the crucial asymmetric cyclisation stage. A comparison of process green metrics with reported palladium catalyzed enantioselective fluorination methodology shows the fluorination-amidase route to be very efficient and more suitable for scale-up

Deployment evaluation methodology for the electrometallurgical treatment of DOE-EM spent nuclear fuel

Part of the Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) inventory may require some type of treatment to meet acceptance criteria at various disposition sites. The current focus for much of this spent nuclear fuel is the electrometallurgical treatment process under development at Argonne National Laboratory. Potential flowsheets for this treatment process are presented. Deployment of the process for the treatment of the spent nuclear fuel requires evaluation to determine the spent nuclear fuel program need for treatment and compatibility of the spent nuclear fuel with the process. The evaluation of need includes considerations of cost, technical feasibility, process material disposition, and schedule to treat a proposed fuel. A siting evaluation methodology has been developed to account for these variables. A work breakdown structure is proposed to gather life-cycle cost information to allow evaluation of alternative siting strategies on a similar basis. The evaluation methodology, while created specifically for the electrometallurgical evaluation, has been written such that it could be applied to any potential treatment process that is a disposition option for spent nuclear fuel. Future work to complete the evaluation of the process for electrometallurgical treatment is discussed

Supersymmetric IIB Solutions with Schr\"{o}dinger Symmetry

We find a class of non-relativistic supersymmetric solutions of IIB supergravity with non-trivial B-field that have dynamical exponent n=2 and are invariant under the Schrodinger group. For a general Sasaki-Einstein internal manifold with U(1)^3 isometry, the solutions have two real supercharges. When the internal manifold is S^5, the number of supercharges can be four. We also find a large class of non-relativistic scale invariant type IIB solutions with dynamical exponents different from two. The explicit solutions and the values of the dynamical exponents are determined by vector eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the Laplacian on an Einstein manifold.Comment: 28 pages, LaTe

Quarkonia Measurements with STAR

We report results on quarkonium production from the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC). J/psi spectra in p+p and Cu+Cu collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV with transverse momenta in the range of 0.5-14 GeV/c and 5-8 GeV/c, respectively, are presented. We find that for p_T > 5 GeV/c yields in p+p collisions are consistent with those in minimum-bias Cu+Cu collisions scaled with the respective number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions. In this range the nuclear modification factor, R_AA, is measured to be 0.9+-0.2(stat). For the first time at RHIC, high-p_T J/psi-hadron correlations were studied in p+p collisions. Implications from our measurements on J/psi production mechanisms, constraints on open bottom yields, and J/psi dissociation mechanisms at high-p_T are discussed. In addition, we give a brief status of measurements of Upsilon production in p+p and Au+Au collisions and present projections of future quarkonia measurements based on an upgrades to the STAR detector and increased luminosity achieved through stochastic cooling of RHIC.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. Prepared for 3rd International Conference on Hard and Electromagnetic Probes of High-Energy Nuclear Collisions (Hard Probes 2008), A Toxa, Spain, June 8-14, 200