Derivations of Atomic Ionization Effects Induced by Neutrino Magnetic Moments

A recent paper [M.B. Voloshin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 201801 (2010)] pointed out that our earlier derivations of atomic ionization cross-section due to neutrino magnetic moments (arXiv:1001.2074v2) involved unjustified assumptions. We confirm and elaborate on this comment with these notes. We caution that the results of the sum-rule approach in this paper contradict the expected behaviour in atomic transitions.Comment: V3 3 pages ; confirm and elaborate on unjustified assumptions in V1 & V

Muon Simulations for Super-Kamiokande, KamLAND and CHOOZ

Muon backgrounds at Super-Kamiokande, KamLAND and CHOOZ are calculated using MUSIC. A modified version of the Gaisser sea level muon distribution and a well-tested Monte Carlo integration method are introduced. Average muon energy, flux and rate are tabulated. Plots of average energy and angular distributions are given. Implications on muon tracker design for future experiments are discussed.Comment: Revtex4 33 pages, 16 figures and 4 table

Light flash phenomenon seen by astronauts

The results from experiments conducted to characterize and elucidate light flashes seen by astronauts on Apollo 11, 12, 13, and 14 during transluna or transearth orbit are presented. The data show cosmic nuclei interacting with the visual apparatus causes the light flash phenomenon. The data also suggest that slow protons and helium ions with a stopping power greater than 10 KeV/micron will cause light flashes and streaks in the partially dark adapted eye. The effects of galactic cosmic nuclei interacting with man during long term missions are discussed

Positron-neutrino correlation in the 0^+ \to 0^+ decay of ^{32}Ar

The positron-neutrino correlation in the $0^+ \to 0^+ \beta$ decay of $^{32}$Ar was measured at ISOLDE by analyzing the effect of lepton recoil on the shape of the narrow proton group following the superallowed decay. Our result is consistent with the Standard Model prediction. For vanishing Fierz interference we find $a=0.9989 \pm 0.0052 \pm 0.0036$, which yields improved constraints on scalar weak interactions

The KATRIN Pre-Spectrometer at reduced Filter Energy

The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino experiment, KATRIN, will determine the mass of the electron neutrino with a sensitivity of 0.2 eV (90% C.L.) via a measurement of the beta-spectrum of gaseous tritium near its endpoint of E_0 =18.57 keV. An ultra-low background of about b = 10 mHz is among the requirements to reach this sensitivity. In the KATRIN main beam-line two spectrometers of MAC-E filter type are used in a tandem configuration. This setup, however, produces a Penning trap which could lead to increased background. We have performed test measurements showing that the filter energy of the pre-spectrometer can be reduced by several keV in order to diminish this trap. These measurements were analyzed with the help of a complex computer simulation, modeling multiple electron reflections both from the detector and the photoelectric electron source used in our test setup.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figure

Engineering the Controlled Assembly of Filamentous Injectisomes in E. coli K-12 for Protein Translocation into Mammalian Cells.

Bacterial pathogens containing type III protein secretion systems (T3SS) assemble large needle-like protein complexes in the bacterial envelope, called injectisomes, for translocation of protein effectors into host cells. The application of these molecular syringes for the injection of proteins into mammalian cells is hindered by their structural and genomic complexity, requiring multiple polypeptides encoded along with effectors in various transcriptional units (TUs) with intricate regulation. In this work, we have rationally designed the controlled expression of the filamentous injectisomes found in enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) in the nonpathogenic strain E. coli K-12. All structural components of EPEC injectisomes, encoded in a genomic island called the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), were engineered in five TUs (eLEEs) excluding effectors, promoters and transcriptional regulators. These eLEEs were placed under the control of the IPTG-inducible promoter Ptac and integrated into specific chromosomal sites of E. coli K-12 using a marker-less strategy. The resulting strain, named synthetic injector E. coli (SIEC), assembles filamentous injectisomes similar to those in EPEC. SIEC injectisomes form pores in the host plasma membrane and are able to translocate T3-substrate proteins (e.g., translocated intimin receptor, Tir) into the cytoplasm of HeLa cells reproducing the phenotypes of intimate attachment and polymerization of actin-pedestals elicited by EPEC bacteria. Hence, SIEC strain allows the controlled expression of functional filamentous injectisomes for efficient translocation of proteins with T3S-signals into mammalian cells

A Monte Carlo simulation of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory proportional counters

The third phase of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment added an array of 3He proportional counters to the detector. The purpose of this Neutral Current Detection (NCD) array was to observe neutrons resulting from neutral-current solar neutrino-deuteron interactions. We have developed a detailed simulation of the current pulses from the NCD array proportional counters, from the primary neutron capture on 3He through the NCD array signal-processing electronics. This NCD array Monte Carlo simulation was used to model the alpha-decay background in SNO's third-phase 8B solar-neutrino measurement.Comment: 38 pages; submitted to the New Journal of Physic

Radiation environment at the Moon: Comparisons of transport code modeling and measurements from the CRaTER instrument

The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER), an instrument carried on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft, directly measures the energy depositions by solar and galactic cosmic radiations in its silicon wafer detectors. These energy depositions are converted to linear energy transfer (LET) spectra. High LET particles, which are mainly high‐energy heavy ions found in the incident cosmic ray spectrum, or target fragments and recoils produced by protons and heavier ions, are of particular importance because of their potential to cause significant damage to human tissue and electronic components. Aside from providing LET data useful for space radiation risk analyses for lunar missions, the observed LET spectra can also be used to help validate space radiation transport codes, used for shielding design and risk assessment applications, which is a major thrust of this work. In this work the Monte Carlo transport code HETC‐HEDS (High‐Energy Transport Code‐Human Exploration and Development in Space) is used to estimate LET contributions from the incident primary ions and their charged secondaries produced by nuclear collisions as they pass through the three pairs of silicon detectors. Also in this work, the contributions to the LET of the primary ions and their charged secondaries are analyzed and compared with estimates obtained using the deterministic space radiation code HZETRN 2010, developed at NASA Langley Research Center. LET estimates obtained from the two transport codes are compared with measurements of LET from the CRaTER instrument during the mission. Overall, a comparison of the LET predictions of the HETC‐HEDS code to the predictions of the HZETRN code displays good agreement. The code predictions are also in good agreement with the CRaTER LET measurements above 15 keV/µm but differ from the measurements for smaller values of LET. A possible reason for this disagreement between measured and calculated spectra below 15 keV/µm is an inadequate representation of the light ion spectra in HETC‐HEDS and HZETRN code calculations. It is also clear from the results of this work that Vavilov distributions need to be incorporated into the HETC‐HJEDS code before it will be able to recreate the observed LET spectra measured by the CRaTER instrument. Key Points Vavilov corrections should be incorporated into simulated results The predictions of the transport codes reasonably agree with the CRaTER LET The observed LET can be used to help validate space radiation transport codesPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108081/1/swe20145.pd

Occurrence of Regulated and Emerging Iodinated DBPs in the Shanghai Drinking Water

10.1371/journal.pone.0059677PLoS ONE83