Identifying rotation in SASI-dominated core-collapse supernovae with a neutrino gyroscope

Measuring the rotation of core-collapse supernovae (SN) and of their progenitor stars is extremely challenging. Here it is demonstrated that neutrinos may potentially be employed as stellar gyroscopes, if phases of activity by the standing accretion-shock instability (SASI) affect the neutrino emission prior to the onset of the SN explosion. This is shown by comparing the neutrino emission properties of self-consistent, three-dimensional (3D) SN simulations of a 15 M_sun progenitor without rotation as well as slow and fast rotation compatible with observational constraints. The explosion of the fast rotating model gives rise to long-lasting, massive polar accretion downflows with stochastic time-variability, detectable e.g. by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory for any observer direction. While spectrograms of the neutrino event rate of non-rotating SNe feature a well-known sharp peak due to SASI for observers located in the proximity of the SASI plane, the corresponding spectrograms of rotating models show activity over a wide range of frequencies, most notably above 200 Hz for rapid rotation. In addition, the Fourier power spectra of the event rate for rotating models exhibit a SASI peak with lower power than in non-rotating models. The spectra for the rotating models also show secondary peaks at higher frequencies with greater relative heights compared to the main SASI peak than for non-rotating cases. These rotational imprints will be detectable for SNe at 10 kpc or closer.Comment: 10 pages, including 6 figures. Minor changes in the text, matches version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D. Animated visualizations available at: https://wwwmpa.mpa-garching.mpg.de/ccsnarchive/data/Walk2018

Neutrino emission characteristics of black hole formation in three-dimensional simulations of stellar collapse

Neutrinos are unique probes of core-collapse supernova dynamics, especially in the case of black hole (BH) forming stellar collapses, where the electromagnetic emission may be faint or absent. By investigating two 3D hydrodynamical simulations of BH-forming stellar collapses of mass 40 and 75 M_sun, we identify the physical processes preceding BH formation through neutrinos, and forecast the neutrino signal expected in the existing IceCube and Super-Kamiokande detectors, as well as in the future generation DUNE facility. Prior to the abrupt termination of the neutrino signal corresponding to BH formation, both models develop episodes of strong and long-lasting activity by the spiral standing accretion shock instability (SASI). We find that the spiral SASI peak in the Fourier power spectrum of the neutrino event rate will be distinguishable at 3 sigma above the detector noise for distances up to O(30) kpc in the most optimistic scenario, with IceCube having the highest sensitivity. Interestingly, given the long duration of the spiral SASI episodes, the spectrograms of the expected neutrino event rate carry clear signs of the evolution of the blue spiral SASI frequency as a function of time, as the shock radius and post-shock fluid velocity evolve. Due to the high accretion luminosity and its large-amplitude SASI-induced modulations, any contribution from asymmetric (dipolar or quadrupolar) neutrino emission associated with the lepton emission self-sustained asymmetry (LESA) is far subdominant in the neutrino signal.Comment: 25 pages, including 19 figures. Discussion on LESA expanded; conclusions unchanged. Matches version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D. Animated visualizations available at: https://wwwmpa.mpa-garching.mpg.de/ccsnarchive/data/Walk2019

Full-Wafer Roller-NIL Processes for Silicon Solar Cell Texturisation

The highest solar cell efficiencies both for c-Si and mc-Si were reached using template based texturing processes. Especially for mc-Si the benefit of a defined texture, the so called honeycomb texture, was demonstrated impressively. However, up until now, no industrially feasible process has been available to pattern the necessary etching masks with the sufficient resolution. Roller-Nanoimprint Lithography (Roller-NIL) has the potential to overcome these limitations and to allow high quality pattern transfers, even in the sub-micron regime, in continuous in-line processes. Therefore, this etch-mask patterning technique is a suitable solution to bring such elaborate features like the honeycomb texture to an industrial realization. Beyond that, this fast printing-like technology opens up new possibilities to introduce promising concepts like photonic structures into solar cells

Clostridium difficile ribotypes in Austria: a multicenter, hospital-based survey

A prospective, noninterventional survey was conducted among Clostridium difficile positive patients identified in the time period of July until October 2012 in 18 hospitals distributed across all nine Austrian provinces. Participating hospitals were asked to send stool samples or isolates from ten successive patients with C.difficile infection to the National Clostridium difficile Reference Laboratory at the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety for PCR-ribotyping and in vitro susceptibility testing. A total of 171 eligible patients were identified, including 73 patients with toxin-positive stool specimens and 98 patients from which C. difficile isolates were provided. Of the 159 patients with known age, 127 (74.3 %) were 65 years or older, the median age was 76 years (range: 9–97 years), and the male to female ratio 2.2. Among these patients, 73 % had health care-associated and 20 % community-acquired C. difficile infection (indeterminable 7 %). The all-cause, 30-day mortality was 8.8 % (15/171). Stool samples yielded 46 different PCR-ribotypes, of which ribotypes 027 (20 %), 014 (15.8 %), 053 (10.5 %), 078 (5.3 %), and 002 (4.7 %) were the five most prevalent. Ribotype 027 was found only in the provinces Vienna, Burgenland, and Lower Austria. Severe outcome of C. difficile infection was found to be associated with ribotype 053 (prevalence ratio: 3.04; 95 % CI: 1.24, 7.44), not with the so-called hypervirulent ribotypes 027 and 078. All 027 and 053 isolates exhibited in vitro resistance against moxifloxacin. Fluoroquinolone use in the health care setting must be considered as a factor favoring the spread of these fluoroquinolone resistant C. difficile clones

Nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of the I-mode high confinement regime and comparisons with experimenta)

For the first time, nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of I-mode plasmas are performed and compared with experiment. I-mode is a high confinement regime, featuring energy confinement similar to H-mode, but without enhanced particle and impurity particle confinement [D. G. Whyte et al., Nucl. Fusion 50, 105005 (2010)]. As a consequence of the separation between heat and particle transport, I-mode exhibits several favorable characteristics compared to H-mode. The nonlinear gyrokinetic code GYRO [J. Candy and R. E. Waltz, J Comput. Phys. 186, 545 (2003)] is used to explore the effects of E × B shear and profile stiffness in I-mode and compare with L-mode. The nonlinear GYRO simulations show that I-mode core ion temperature and electron temperature profiles are more stiff than L-mode core plasmas. Scans of the input E × B shear in GYRO simulations show that E × B shearing of turbulence is a stronger effect in the core of I-mode than L-mode. The nonlinear simulations match the observed reductions in long wavelength density fluctuation levels across the L-I transition but underestimate the reduction of long wavelength electron temperature fluctuation levels. The comparisons between experiment and gyrokinetic simulations for I-mode suggest that increased E × B shearing of turbulence combined with increased profile stiffness are responsible for the reductions in core turbulence observed in the experiment, and that I-mode resembles H-mode plasmas more than L-mode plasmas with regards to marginal stability and temperature profile stiffness.United States. Department of Energy (Contract No. DE-FC02-99ER54512-CMOD)United States. Department of Energy. Office of Science (Contract No. DE-AC02- 05CH11231

An Approach to Parameterization of the Oceanic Turbulent Boundary Layer in the Western Pacific Warm Pool

Vertical profiles of zonal velocity and the dissipation rate ε of the turbulent kinetic energy obtained during the Tropical Ocean-Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) are analyzed in the context of planetary boundary layer relationships previously derived from atmospheric measurements. The presence of a barrier layer and the striking effect of increased dimensionless shear and ε at the bottom of the surface mixed layer of the ocean, features often observed in the western Pacific warm pool area, are consistent with the boundary layer laws. The gradient Richardson number Ri is found to be a convenient parameter for scaling the nonstationary and horizontally heterogeneous mixed layer in the warm pool area. The approach to parameterization of the turbulent eddy coefficient within the mixed layer as a function of Ri is tested as part of a one-dimensional model. A comparison between the observed and modeled upper ocean temperatures for two COARE examples shows a reasonable agreement over a wide range of wind speed conditions

Genome-wide Analyses Identify KIF5A as a Novel ALS Gene

To identify novel genes associated with ALS, we undertook two lines of investigation. We carried out a genome-wide association study comparing 20,806 ALS cases and 59,804 controls. Independently, we performed a rare variant burden analysis comparing 1,138 index familial ALS cases and 19,494 controls. Through both approaches, we identified kinesin family member 5A (KIF5A) as a novel gene associated with ALS. Interestingly, mutations predominantly in the N-terminal motor domain of KIF5A are causative for two neurodegenerative diseases: hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG10) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2 (CMT2). In contrast, ALS-associated mutations are primarily located at the C-terminal cargo-binding tail domain and patients harboring loss-of-function mutations displayed an extended survival relative to typical ALS cases. Taken together, these results broaden the phenotype spectrum resulting from mutations in KIF5A and strengthen the role of cytoskeletal defects in the pathogenesis of ALS.Peer reviewe

Hyperreactive onchocerciasis is characterized by a combination of Th17-Th2 immune responses and reduced regulatory T cells

<div><p>Clinical manifestations in onchocerciasis range from generalized onchocerciasis (GEO) to the rare but severe hyperreactive (HO)/sowda form. Since disease pathogenesis is associated with host inflammatory reactions, we investigated whether Th17 responses could be related to aggravated pathology in HO. Using flow cytometry, filarial-specific cytokine responses and PCR arrays, we compared the immune cell profiles, including Th subsets, in individuals presenting the two polar forms of infection and endemic normals (EN). In addition to elevated frequencies of memory CD4⁺ T cells, individuals with HO showed accentuated Th17 and Th2 profiles but decreased CD4⁺CD25^hiFoxp3⁺ regulatory T cells. These profiles included increased IL-17A⁺, IL-4⁺, RORC2⁺ and GATA3⁺CD4⁺ T cell populations. Flow cytometry data was further confirmed using a PCR array since Th17-related genes (IL-17 family members, IL-6, IL-1β and IL-22) and Th2-related (IL-4, IL-13, STAT6) genes were all significantly up-regulated in HO individuals. In addition, stronger <i>Onchocerca volvulus</i>-specific Th2 responses, especially IL-13, were observed <i>in vitro</i> in hyperreactive individuals when compared to GEO or EN groups. This study provides initial evidence that elevated frequencies of Th17 and Th2 cells form part of the immune network instigating the development of severe onchocerciasis.</p></div