1,528 research outputs found
Evolution of level density step structures from 56,57-Fe to 96,97-Mo
Level densities have been extracted from primary gamma spectra for 56,57-Fe
and 96,97-Mo nuclei using (3-He,alpha gamma) and (3-He,3-He') reactions on
57-Fe and 97-Mo targets. The level density curves reveal step structures above
the pairing gap due to the breaking of nucleon Cooper pairs. The location of
the step structures in energy and their shapes arise from the interplay between
single-particle energies and seniority-conserving and seniority-non-conserving
interactions.Comment: 9 pages, including 5 figure
Critical Behavior of the Meissner Transition in the Lattice London Superconductor
We carry out Monte Carlo simulations of the three dimensional (3D) lattice
London superconductor in zero applied magnetic field, making a detailed finite
size scaling analysis of the Meissner transition. We find that the magnetic
penetration length \lambda, and the correlation length \xi, scale as \lambda ~
\xi ~ |t|^{-\nu}, with \nu = 0.66 \pm 0.03, consistent with ordinary 3D XY
universality, \nu_XY ~ 2/3. Our results confirm the anomalous scaling dimension
of magnetic field correlations at T_c.Comment: 4 pages, 5 ps figure
Chiral symmetry breaking in dimensionally regularized nonperturbative quenched QED
In this paper we study dynamical chiral symmetry breaking in dimensionally
regularized quenched QED within the context of Dyson-Schwinger equations. In D
< 4 dimensions the theory has solutions which exhibit chiral symmetry breaking
for all values of the coupling. To begin with, we study this phenomenon both
numerically and, with some approximations, analytically within the rainbow
approximation in the Landau gauge. In particular, we discuss how to extract the
critical coupling alpha_c = pi/3 relevant in four dimensions from the D
dimensional theory. We further present analytic results for the chirally
symmetric solution obtained with the Curtis-Pennington vertex as well as
numerical results for solutions exhibiting chiral symmetry breaking. For these
we demonstrate that, using dimensional regularization, the extraction of the
critical coupling relevant for this vertex is feasible. Initial results for
this critical coupling are in agreement with cut-off based work within the
currently achievable numerical precision.Comment: 24 pages, including 5 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.
Critical Phenomena with Linked Cluster Expansions in a Finite Volume
Linked cluster expansions are generalized from an infinite to a finite
volume. They are performed to 20th order in the expansion parameter to approach
the critical region from the symmetric phase. A new criterion is proposed to
distinguish 1st from 2nd order transitions within a finite size scaling
analysis. The criterion applies also to other methods for investigating the
phase structure such as Monte Carlo simulations. Our computational tools are
illustrated at the example of scalar O(N) models with four and six-point
couplings for and in three dimensions. It is shown how to localize
the tricritical line in these models. We indicate some further applications of
our methods to the electroweak transition as well as to models for
superconductivity.Comment: 36 pages, latex2e, 7 eps figures included, uuencoded, gzipped and
tarred tex file hdth9607.te
Staggered fermions and chiral symmetry breaking in transverse lattice regulated QED
Staggered fermions are constructed for the transverse lattice regularization
scheme. The weak perturbation theory of transverse lattice non-compact QED is
developed in light-cone gauge, and we argue that for fixed lattice spacing this
theory is ultraviolet finite, order by order in perturbation theory. However,
by calculating the anomalous scaling dimension of the link fields, we find that
the interaction Hamiltonian becomes non-renormalizable for ,
where is the bare (lattice) QED coupling constant. We conjecture that
this is the critical point of the chiral symmetry breaking phase transition in
QED. Non-perturbative chiral symmetry breaking is then studied in the strong
coupling limit. The discrete remnant of chiral symmetry that remains on the
lattice is spontaneously broken, and the ground state to lowest order in the
strong coupling expansion corresponds to the classical ground state of the
two-dimensional spin one-half Heisenberg antiferromagnet.Comment: 30 pages, UFIFT-HEP-92-1
'Test n Treat' (TnT): a cluster randomized feasibility trial of on-site rapid Chlamydia trachomatis tests and treatment in ethnically diverse, sexually active teenagers attending technical colleges.
Objectives
We conducted a cluster-randomized feasibility trial of 90-minute Chlamydia trachomatis tests and same day on-site treatment (‘Test n Treat/TnT’) in six technical colleges in London, England, to assess TnT uptake rates; follow-up rates; prevalence of C. trachomatis at baseline and 7 months; time to treatment; acceptability of TnT.
Methods
Participants completed questionnaires and provided genitourinary samples at baseline and 7 months. Participants were informed that baseline samples would not be tested for 7 months and were advised to get screened independently. Colleges were randomly allocated 1:1 to intervention (TnT) or control (no TnT).
One month and 4 months post recruitment, participants at intervention colleges were texted invitations for on-site free C. trachomatis tests. A purposive sample of students who did/did not attend for screening were interviewed (n = 26).
Results
Five hundred and nine sexually active students were recruited: median age 17.9 years, 47% male, 50% black ethnicity, 55% reporting two or more sexual partners in the previous year. TnT uptake was 13% (33/259; 95% CI 8.9–17.4%) at 1 month and 10% (26/259; 6.7–14.4%) at 4 months with overall C. trachomatis positivity 5.1% (3/59; 1.1–14.2%). Follow-up at 7 months was 62% (317/509) for questionnaires and 52% (264/509) for samples. C. trachomatis prevalence was 6.2% (31/503) at baseline and 6.1% (16/264) at 7 months. Median time from test to treatment was 15 h. Interviews suggested low test uptake was associated with not feeling at risk, perceptions of stigma, and little knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Conclusions
Despite high C. trachomatis rates at baseline and follow-up, uptake of testing was low. Like many countries, England urgently needs better sex education, including making STI testing routine/normal.
Trial registration ISRCTN5803879
Ethane steam reforming over a platinum/alumina catalyst: effect of sulphur poisoning
In this study we have examined the adsorption of hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol over platinum catalysts and examined the effect of these poisons on the steam reforming of ethane. Adsorption of hydrogen sulfide was measured at 293 and 873 K. At 873 K the adsorbed state of hydrogen sulfide in the presence of hydrogen was SH rather than S, even though the Pt:S ratio was unity. The effect of 11.2 ppm hydrogen sulfide or methanethiol on the steam reforming of ethane was studied at 873 K and 20 barg. Both poisons deactivated the catalyst over a number of hours, but methanethiol was found to be more deleterious, reducing the conversion by almost an order of magnitude, possibly due to the co-deposition of sulfur and carbon. Changes in the selectivity revealed that the effect of sulfur was not uniform on the reactions occurring, with the production of methane reduced proportionally more than the other products, due to the surface sensitivity of the hydrogenolysis and methanation reactions. The water-gas shift reaction was affected to a lesser extent. No regeneration was observed when hydrogen sulfide was removed from the feedstream in agreement with adsorption studies. A slight regeneration was observed when methanethiol was removed from the feed, but this was believed to be due to the removal of carbon rather than sulfur. The overall effect of sulfur poisoning was to reduce activity and enhance hydrogen selectivity
'Test n Treat' (TnT): a cluster randomized feasibility trial of on-site rapid Chlamydia trachomatis tests and treatment in ethnically diverse, sexually active teenagers attending technical colleges.
Objectives
We conducted a cluster-randomized feasibility trial of 90-minute Chlamydia trachomatis tests and same day on-site treatment (‘Test n Treat/TnT’) in six technical colleges in London, England, to assess TnT uptake rates; follow-up rates; prevalence of C. trachomatis at baseline and 7 months; time to treatment; acceptability of TnT.
Methods
Participants completed questionnaires and provided genitourinary samples at baseline and 7 months. Participants were informed that baseline samples would not be tested for 7 months and were advised to get screened independently. Colleges were randomly allocated 1:1 to intervention (TnT) or control (no TnT).
One month and 4 months post recruitment, participants at intervention colleges were texted invitations for on-site free C. trachomatis tests. A purposive sample of students who did/did not attend for screening were interviewed (n = 26).
Results
Five hundred and nine sexually active students were recruited: median age 17.9 years, 47% male, 50% black ethnicity, 55% reporting two or more sexual partners in the previous year. TnT uptake was 13% (33/259; 95% CI 8.9–17.4%) at 1 month and 10% (26/259; 6.7–14.4%) at 4 months with overall C. trachomatis positivity 5.1% (3/59; 1.1–14.2%). Follow-up at 7 months was 62% (317/509) for questionnaires and 52% (264/509) for samples. C. trachomatis prevalence was 6.2% (31/503) at baseline and 6.1% (16/264) at 7 months. Median time from test to treatment was 15 h. Interviews suggested low test uptake was associated with not feeling at risk, perceptions of stigma, and little knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Conclusions
Despite high C. trachomatis rates at baseline and follow-up, uptake of testing was low. Like many countries, England urgently needs better sex education, including making STI testing routine/normal.
Trial registration ISRCTN5803879
New features of the phase transition to superconducting state in thin films
The Halperin-Lubensky-Ma (HLM) effect of a fluctuation-induced change of the
order of phase transition in thin films of type I superconductors with
relatively small Ginzburg-Landau number is considered. Numerical data
for the free energy, the order parameter jump, the latent heat, and the
specific heat of W, Al and In are presented to reveal the influence of film
thickness and material parameters on the properties of the phase transition. We
demonstrate for the first time that in contrast to the usual notion the HLM
effect occurs in the most distinct way in superconducting films with high
critical magnetic field rather than in materials with small .
The possibility for an experimental observation of the fluctuation change of
the order of superconducting phase transition in superconducting films is
discussed.Comment: 11 pages, MikTexTeX, 3 fig, 2 Tables, corrected some typos, Submitted
J.Phys:Cond Ma
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