92 research outputs found
A Pilot Search for Gravitational Self-Lensing Binaries with the Zwicky Transient Facility
Binary systems containing a compact object may exhibit periodic brightening
episodes due to gravitational lensing as the compact object transits the
companion star. Such "self-lensing" signatures have been detected before for
white dwarf binaries. We attempt to use these signatures to identify detached
stellar-mass neutron star and black hole binaries using data from the Zwicky
Transient Facility (ZTF). We present a systematic search for self-lensing
signals in Galactic binaries from a subset of high-cadence ZTF data taken in
2018. We identify 19 plausible candidates from the search, although because
each candidate is observed to only brighten once, other origins such as stellar
flares are more likely. We discuss prospects for more comprehensive future
searches of the ZTF data.Comment: 12 pages. Submitted to the Open Journal of Astrophysic
Measuring Atmospheric Neutrino Oscillations with Neutrino Telescopes
Neutrino telescopes with large detection volumes can demonstrate that the
current indications of neutrino oscillation are correct or if a better
description can be achieved with non-standard alternatives. Observations of
contained muons produced by atmospheric neutrinos can better constrain the
allowed region for oscillations or determine the relevant parameters of
non-standard models. We analyze the possibility of neutrino telescopes
measuring atmospheric neutrino oscillations. We suggest adjustments to improve
this potential. An addition of four densely-instrumented strings to the AMANDA
II detector makes observations feasible. Such a configuration is competitive
with current and proposed experiments.Comment: 36 pages, 21 figures, revte
COVID-19 vaccine perceptions and uptake in a national prospective cohort of essential workers
INTRODUCTION: In a multi-center prospective cohort of essential workers, we assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) by vaccine intention, prior SARS-CoV-2 positivity, and occupation, and their impact on vaccine uptake over time. METHODS: Initiated in July 2020, the HEROES-RECOVER cohort provided socio-demographics and COVID-19 vaccination data. Using two follow-up surveys approximately three months apart, COVID-19 vaccine KAP, intention, and receipt was collected; the first survey categorized participants as reluctant, reachable, or endorser. RESULTS: A total of 4,803 participants were included in the analysis. Most (70%) were vaccine endorsers, 16% were reachable, and 14% were reluctant. By May 2021, 77% had received at least one vaccine dose. KAP responses strongly predicted vaccine uptake, particularly positive attitudes about safety (aOR = 5.46, 95% CI: 1.4-20.8) and effectiveness (aOR = 5.0, 95% CI: 1.3-19.1). Participants' with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection were 22% less likely to believe the COVID-19 vaccine was effective compared with uninfected participants (aOR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64-0.96). This was even more pronounced in first responders compared with other occupations, with first responders 42% less likely to believe in COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (aOR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.40-0.84). Between administrations of the two surveys, 25% of reluctant, 56% reachable, and 83% of endorser groups received the COVID-19 vaccine. The reachable group had large increases in positive responses for questions about vaccine safety (10% of vaccinated, 34% of unvaccinated), and vaccine effectiveness (12% of vaccinated, 27% of unvaccinated). DISCUSSION: Our study demonstrates attitudes associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake and a positive shift in attitudes over time. First responders, despite potential high exposure to SARS-CoV-2, and participants with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection were more vaccine reluctant. CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine can shift over time. Targeting messages about the vaccine's safety and effectiveness in reducing SARS-CoV-2 virus infection and illness severity may increase vaccine uptake for reluctant and reachable participants
Atmospheric neutrino flux from 3-dimensional simulation
The atmospheric muon and neutrino flux have been simulated using the same
approach which successfully accounted for the recent secondary proton, electron
and positron flux measurements in orbit by the AMS experiment. For the muon
flux, a good agreement is obtained with the CAPRICE and HEAT data for altitudes
ranging from sea level up to about 38 km. The general features of the
calculated atmospheric neutrino flux are reported and discussed. The flux
obtained at the Super-Kamiokande experiment location are reported and compared
with other calculations. For low neutrino energies the flux obtained is
significantly smaller than that used in the data analysis of underground
experiment. The simulation results for the SOUDAN experiment site are also
reported.Comment: 33 pages, 27 figures, 12 tables, final version for Phys. Rev.
Deviation of Neutrino Mixing from Bi-maximal
We have studied how observables of the neutrino mixing matrix can link up
with the ones in the quark sector. The deviation from the bi-maximal flavor
mixing is parameterized using a 3 x 3 unitary matrix. The neutrino mixings are
investigated supposing this unitary matrix to be hierarchical like the quark
mixing matrix. We obtain the remarkable prediction |U_{e3}| >= 0.03 from the
experimentally allowed range tan^2 theta_{sol} = 0.24 ~ 0.89. The CP violation
in neutrino oscillations is expected to be very small.Comment: Some references are adde
CP Violation in Bilarge Lepton Mixing
We propose a scheme of lepton mixing in which the unitary matrix that
diagonalizes the neutrino mass matrix is bimaximal and the deviation from
bimaximal of the lepton mixing matrix is due to the unitary matrix that
diagonalizes the charged-lepton mass matrix. This matrix is assumed to be
hierarchical, like the quark mixing matrix. It is shown that in general it is
possible to have a sizable value for |U_{e3}| together with an effective
two-neutrino maximal mixing in solar neutrino experiments. If the effective
mixing in solar neutrino experiments is less than maximal, as indicated by
current data, |U_{e3}| is bounded from below. Furthermore, in general the
violation of CP could be relatively large.Comment: 11 pages. Final version to be published in PR
Neutrino Unification
Present neutrino data are consistent with neutrino masses arising from a
common seed at some ``neutrino unification'' scale . Such a simple
theoretical ansatz naturally leads to quasi-degenerate neutrinos that could lie
in the electron-volt range with neutrino mass splittings induced by
renormalization effects associated with supersymmetric thresholds. In such a
scheme the leptonic analogue of the Cabibbo angle describing
solar neutrino oscillations is nearly maximal. Its exact value is correlated
with the smallness of . These features agree both with latest
data on the solar neutrino spectra and with the reactor neutrino data. The two
leading mass-eigenstate neutrinos present in \ne form a pseudo-Dirac neutrino,
avoiding conflict with neutrinoless double beta decay.Comment: RevTex format, 2 figures, 4 pages, a few new references, no other
important change, figures unchanged, version to be published in PR
Probing neutrino non-standard interactions with atmospheric neutrino data
We have reconsidered the atmospheric neutrino anomaly in light of the laetst
data from Super-Kamiokande contained events and from Super-Kamiokande and MACRO
up-going muons. We have reanalysed the proposed solution to the atmospheric
neutrino anomaly in terms of non-standard neutrino-matter interactions (NSI) as
well as the standard nu_mu -> nu_tau oscillations (OSC). Our statistical
analysis shows that a pure NSI mechanism is now ruled out at 99%, while the
standard nu_mu -> nu_tau OSC mechanism provides a quite remarkably good
description of the anomaly. We therefore study an extended mechanism of
neutrino propagation which combines both oscillation and non-standard
neutrino-matter interactions, in order to derive limits on flavour-changing
(FC) and non-universal (NU) neutrino interactions. We obtain that the
off-diagonal flavour-changing neutrino parameter epsilon and the diagonal
non-universality neutrino parameter epsilon' are confined to -0.03 < epsilon <
0.02 and |epsilon'| < 0.05 at 99.73% CL. These limits are model independent and
they are obtained from pure neutrino-physics processes. The stability of the
neutrino oscillation solution to the atmospheric neutrino anomaly against the
presence of non-standard neutrino interactions establishes the robustness of
the near-maximal atmospheric mixing and massive-neutrino hypothesis. The best
agreement with the data is obtained for Delta_m^2 = 2.3*10^{-3} eV^2,
sin^2(2*theta) = 1, epsilon = 6.7*10^{-3} and epsilon' = 1.1*10^{-3}, although
the chi^2 function is quite flat in the epsilon and epsilon' directions for
epsilon, epsilon' -> 0.Comment: 26 pages, LaTeX file using REVTeX4, 1 table and 12 figures included.
Added a revised analysis which takes into account the new 1489-day
Super-Kamiokande and final MACRO data. The bound on NSI parameters is
considerably improve
Update on neutrino mixing in the early Universe
From the current cosmological observations of CMB and nuclear abundances we
show, with an analytic procedure, that the total effective number of extra
neutrino species . We also describe the possible
signatures of non standard effects that could be revealed in future CMB
observations. This cosmological information is then applied to neutrino mixing
models. Taking into account the recent results from the SNO and SuperKamiokande
experiments, disfavouring pure active to sterile neutrino oscillations, we show
that all 4 neutrino mixing models, both of 2+2 and 3+1 type, lead to a full
thermalization of the sterile neutrino flavor. Moreover such a sterile neutrino
production excludes the possibility of an electron neutrino asymmetry
generation and we conclude that , in
disagreement with the cosmological bound. This result is valid under the
assumption that the initial neutrino asymmetries are small. We suggest the
existence of a second sterile neutrino flavor, with mixing properties such to
generate a large electron neutrino asymmetry, as a possible way out.Comment: 29 pages, 3 figures; to appear on Phys.Rev.D; added discussion (at
page 19) and references; typos correcte
Status of four-neutrino mass schemes: a global and unified approach to current neutrino oscillation data
We present a unified global analysis of neutrino oscillation data within the
framework of the four-neutrino mass schemes (3+1) and (2+2). We include all
data from solar and atmospheric neutrino experiments, as well as information
from short-baseline experiments including LSND. If we combine only solar and
atmospheric neutrino data, (3+1) schemes are clearly preferred, whereas
short-baseline data in combination with atmospheric data prefers (2+2) models.
When combining all data in a global analysis the (3+1) mass scheme gives a
slightly better fit than the (2+2) case, though all four-neutrino schemes are
presently acceptable. The LSND result disfavors the three-active neutrino
scenario with only and at 99.9% CL with
respect to the four-neutrino best fit model. We perform a detailed analysis of
the goodness of fit to identify which sub-set of the data is in disagreement
with the best fit solution in a given mass scheme.Comment: 32 pages, 8 Figures included, REVTeX4.Improved discussion in sec. XI,
references added, version accepted by Phys. Rev.
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