Calculation of a complete set of spin observables for proton elastic scattering from stable and unstable nuclei

A microscopic study of proton elastic scattering from unstable nuclei at intermediate energies using a relativistic formalism is presented. We have employed both the original relativistic impulse approximation (IA1) and the generalised impulse approximation (IA2) formalisms to calculate the relativistic optical potentials, with target densities derived from relativistic mean field (RMF) theory using the NL3 and FSUGold parameter sets. Comparisons between the optical potentials computed using both IA1 and IA2 formalisms, and the different RMF Lagrangians are presented for both stable and unstable targets. The comparisons are required to study the effect of using IA1 versus IA2 optical potentials, with different RMF parameter sets, on elastic scattering observables for unstable targets at intermediate energies. We also study the effect of full-folding versus the factorized form of the optical potentials on elastic scattering observables. As with the case for stable nuclei, we found that the use of the full-folding optical potential improves the scattering observables (especially spin observables) at low intermediate energy (e.g. 200MeV). No discernible difference is found at a projectile incident energy of 500 MeV. To check the validity of using localized optical potential, we calculate the scattering observables using non-local potentials by solving the momentum space Dirac equation. The Dirac equation is transformed to two coupled Lippmann-Schwinger equations, which are then numerically solved to obtain elastic scattering observables. The results are discussed and compared to calculations involving local coordinate-space optical potentials

A quantum algorithm for solving open system dynamics on quantum computers using noise

In this paper we present a quantum algorithm that uses noise as a resource. The goal of our quantum algorithm is the calculation of operator averages of an open quantum system evolving in time. Selected low-noise system qubits and noisy bath qubits represent the system and the bath of the open quantum system. All incoherent qubit noise can be mapped to bath spectral functions. The form of the spectral functions can be tuned digitally, allowing for the time evolution of a wide range of open-system models at finite temperature. We study the feasibility of this approach with a focus on the solution of the spin-boson model and assume intrinsic qubit noise that is dominated by damping and dephasing. We find that classes of open quantum systems exist where our algorithm performs very well, even with gate errors as high as 1%. In general the presented algorithm performs best if the system-bath interactions can be decomposed into native gates.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures in total: 10 pages main text with 7 figure

GDR in Superdeformed Nuclei

A search for the gamma decay of the Giant Dipole Resonance built on superdeformed nuclear configurations was made. The superdeformed states of the Eu-143 nucleus were populated using the reaction Pd-110(Cl-37, 4n)Eu-143 at a beam energy of 165 MeV. High energy gamma-rays were detected in 8 large BaF2 scintillators in coincidence with discrete transitions measured with part of the NORDBALL array (17 HPGe detectors and a 2 pi multiplicity filter). Spectra of high-energy gamma-rays gated by low-energy transitions from states fed by the superdeformed bands show an excess yield in the 7-10 MeV region with respect to those gated by transitions from states not populated by the superdeformed bands. Because the dipole oscillation along the superdeformed axis of the nucleus is expected to have a frequency corresponding to approximate to 8 MeV (low energy component of the GDR strength function), the present result gives the first experimental indication of gamma-ray emission of the GDR built on a superdeformed states

Effect of oblate deformation on E3 strengths in light lead and polonium isotopes

The multipolarities of the main transitions deexciting yrast isomers in Pb-190 have been measured using conversion electron spectroscopy with pulsed beams. The enhanced E3 character of the 407 keV transition from the 11(-) isomer is confirmed and an independent value obtained for its lifetime. A new measurement of the properties of the 440 keV E3 decay from the corresponding 11(-) state in Pb-192, has resulted in the identification of a new branch and a significantly different lifetime from that reported previously. The abnormally large strength of the 11(-) to 8(+) transitions in both Pb-190 and Pb-192 match those known in some light polonium isotopes, an effect which is suggested to be linked to a change in structure of the orbitals in the 8(+) configuration when oblate deformation is established; the lowest Omega = 7/2(-) proton Nilsson orbital changes from being predominantly of h(9/2) character at sphericity to a mixed f(7/2)/h(9/2) parentage at oblate deformations, thus enabling an enhanced i(13/2) to f(7/2) octupole-coupled transition

Rewritable nanoscale oxide photodetector

Nanophotonic devices seek to generate, guide, and/or detect light using structures whose nanoscale dimensions are closely tied to their functionality. Semiconducting nanowires, grown with tailored optoelectronic properties, have been successfully placed into devices for a variety of applications. However, the integration of photonic nanostructures with electronic circuitry has always been one of the most challenging aspects of device development. Here we report the development of rewritable nanoscale photodetectors created at the interface between LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. Nanowire junctions with characteristic dimensions 2-3 nm are created using a reversible AFM writing technique. These nanoscale devices exhibit a remarkably high gain for their size, in part because of the large electric fields produced in the gap region. The photoconductive response is gate-tunable and spans the visible-to-near-infrared regime. The ability to integrate rewritable nanoscale photodetectors with nanowires and transistors in a single materials platform foreshadows new families of integrated optoelectronic devices and applications.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. Supplementary Information 7 pages, 9 figure

RDBE Development and Progress

A digital backend based on the ROACH board has been developed jointly by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and MIT Haystack Observatory. The RDBE will have both Polyphase Filterbank and Digital Downconverter personalities. The initial configuration outputs sixteen 32-MHz channels, comprised of half the channels from the PFB processing of the two IF inputs, for use in the VLBI2010 geodetic system and in the VLBA sensitivity upgrade project. The output rate is 2x109 bits/second (1x10(exp 9) bits/sec = 1 Gbps) over a 10 GigE connection to the Mark 5C with the data written in Mark 5B format on disk

Signature inversion in semi-decoupled bands: Residual interaction between h9/2 protons and i13/2 neutrons

Semi-decoupled bands based on the πh9/2 ⊗ vi13/2 configuration are observed in 162Tm,164Tm and 174Ta. Spins assigned to these bands imply an inversion of the expected signature splitting, which is interpreted as being the result of a residual proton-neutron interactionComisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología PB95-0533US Dept. of Energy DE-FGOS- 92ER4069

Methylated DNA recognition during the reversal of epigenetic silencing is regulated by cysteine and cerine residues in the Epstein-Barr Virus lytic switch protein

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes infectious mononucleosis and is associated with various malignancies, including Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Like all herpesviruses, the EBV life cycle alternates between latency and lytic replication. During latency, the viral genome is largely silenced by host-driven methylation of CpG motifs and, in the switch to the lytic cycle, this epigenetic silencing is overturned. A key event is the activation of the viral BRLF1 gene by the immediate-early protein Zta. Zta is a bZIP transcription factor that preferentially binds to specific response elements (ZREs) in the BRLF1 promoter (Rp) when these elements are methylated. Zta's ability to trigger lytic cycle activation is severely compromised when a cysteine residue in its bZIP domain is mutated to serine (C189S), but the molecular basis for this effect is unknown. Here we show that the C189S mutant is defective for activating Rp in a Burkitt's lymphoma cell line. The mutant is compromised both in vitro and in vivo for binding two methylated ZREs in Rp (ZRE2 and ZRE3), although the effect is striking only for ZRE3. Molecular modeling of Zta bound to methylated ZRE3, together with biochemical data, indicate that C189 directly contacts one of the two methyl cytosines within a specific CpG motif. The motif's second methyl cytosine (on the complementary DNA strand) is predicted to contact S186, a residue known to regulate methyl-ZRE recognition. Our results suggest that C189 regulates the enhanced interaction of Zta with methylated DNA in overturning the epigenetic control of viral latency. As C189 is conserved in many bZIP proteins, the selectivity of Zta for methylated DNA may be a paradigm for a more general phenomenon

Evidence for Octupole Correlations in Multiple Chiral Doublet Bands

Two pairs of positive-and negative-parity doublet bands together with eight strong electric dipole transitions linking their yrast positive- and negative-parity bands have been identified in Br78. They are interpreted as multiple chiral doublet bands with octupole correlations, which is supported by the microscopic multidimensionally-constrained covariant density functional theory and triaxial particle rotor model calculations. This observation reports the first example of chiral geometry in octupole soft nuclei. © 2016 American Physical Society

An Ancient Duplication of Exon 5 in the Snap25 Gene Is Required for Complex Neuronal Development/Function

Alternative splicing is an evolutionary innovation to create functionally diverse proteins from a limited number of genes. SNAP-25 plays a central role in neuroexocytosis by bridging synaptic vesicles to the plasma membrane during regulated exocytosis. The SNAP-25 polypeptide is encoded by a single copy gene, but in higher vertebrates a duplication of exon 5 has resulted in two mutually exclusive splice variants, SNAP-25a and SNAP-25b. To address a potential physiological difference between the two SNAP-25 proteins, we generated gene targeted SNAP-25b deficient mouse mutants by replacing the SNAP-25b specific exon with a second SNAP-25a equivalent. Elimination of SNAP-25b expression resulted in developmental defects, spontaneous seizures, and impaired short-term synaptic plasticity. In adult mutants, morphological changes in hippocampus and drastically altered neuropeptide expression were accompanied by severe impairment of spatial learning. We conclude that the ancient exon duplication in the Snap25 gene provides additional SNAP-25-function required for complex neuronal processes in higher eukaryotes