7,488 research outputs found
On the determination of anti-neutrino spectra from nuclear reactors
In this paper we study the effect of, well-known, higher order corrections to
the allowed beta decay spectrum on the determination of anti-neutrino spectra
resulting from the decays of fission fragments. In particular, we try to
estimate the associated theory errors and find that induced currents like weak
magnetism may ultimately limit our ability to improve the current accuracy and
under certain circumstance could even largely increase the theoretical errors.
We also perform a critical evaluation of the errors associated with our method
to extract the anti-neutrino spectrum using synthetic beta spectra. It turns
out, that a fit using only virtual beta branches with a judicious choice of the
effective nuclear charge provides results with a minimal bias. We apply this
method to actual data for U235, Pu239 and Pu241 and confirm, within errors,
recent results, which indicate a net 3% upward shift in energy averaged
anti-neutrino fluxes. However, we also find significant shape differences which
can in principle be tested by high statistics anti-neutrino data samples.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, 9 tables, added references, version accepted for
publication in Phys. Rev. C. Corrected errors in tab. 1 and eqs. 18 and 19.
Results and conclusion unchange
A new analysis of 14O beta decay: branching ratios and CVC consistency
The ground-state Gamow-Teller transition in the decay of 14O is strongly
hindered and the electron spectrum deviates markedly from the allowed shape. A
reanalysis of the only available data on this spectrum changes the branching
ratio assigned to this transition by seven standard deviations: our new result
is (0.54 \pm 0.02)%. The Kurie plot data from two earlier publications are also
examined and a revision to their published branching ratios is recommended. The
required nuclear matrix elements are calculated with the shell model and, for
the first time, consistency is obtained between the M1 matrix element deduced
from the analog gamma transition in 14N and that deduced from the slope of the
shape-correction function in the beta transition, a requirement of the
conserved vector current hypothesis. This consistency is only obtained,
however, if renormalized rather than free-nucleon operators are used in the
shell-model calculations. In the mirror decay of 14C a similar situation
occurs. Consistency between the 14C lifetime, the slope of the shape-correction
function and the M1 matrix element from gamma decay can only be achieved with
renormalized operators in the shell-model calculation.Comment: 9 pages; revtex4; one figur
Industry reallocations in a globalizing economy
We distill the main insights from recent trade models on firms responses to globalisation. Our primary aim is to assess the economic impact and the welfare implications of the resulting reallocation of resources across firms and countries. In sodoing, we bring theory into life through the numerical implementation of a theoretical framework calibrated on European data, which encompasses aspects of economic geography, firm heterogeneity, and firms organizational choices. Our final purpose isto provide a comprehensive background for empirical investigations and to stimulate further theoretical research.international integration, resource reallocation, economic geography, firm heterogeneity, multinationals
On modelling of shear fracture in deep drawing of a high-strength dual-phase sheet steel
The paper presents application of fracture behaviour characterisation results of a dual-phase sheet steel DP600 to an FEA of its deep-drawing for shear fracture prediction. The characterisation results were obtained with the help of a characterisation method based on a tensile test on a novel butterfly specimen and published previously by the authors. The aim of the present paper is to evaluate that characterisation method on a deep-drawing process. Based on the previous results of the authors, the fracture behaviour is modelled here with the help of the modified Mohr-Coloumb fracture model. The obtained FEA results reveal that shear fracture of the studied material is predicted too early by the used MMC fracture model. A novel adjustment of the model is proposed yielding infinitely high fracture strains at strongly pressure-superimposed stress states. As it is often the case in the state-of-the-art fracture characterisation of high-strenght sheet steels, such stress states were not tested during the previously performed fracture characterisation but occur during the studied deep drawing process. With the help of the adjusted MMC fracture model, it is possible to predict the crack initiation moment very accurately and the crack initiation location sufficiently accurately. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd
A population-based case-control study on social factors and risk of testicular germ cell tumours
Objectives Incidence rates for testicular cancer have risen over the last few decades. Findings of an association between the risk of testicular cancer and social factors are controversial. The association of testicular cancer and different indicators of social factors were examined in this study.<p></p>
Design Case–control study.<p></p>
Setting Population-based multicentre study in four German regions (city states Bremen and Hamburg, the Saarland region and the city of Essen).<p></p>
Participants The study included 797 control participants and 266 participants newly diagnosed with testicular cancer of which 167 cases were classified as seminoma and 99 as non-seminoma. The age of study participants ranged from 15 to 69 years.<p></p>
Methods Social position was classified by educational attainment level, posteducational training, occupational sectors according to Erikson-Goldthorpe-Portocarrero (EGP) and the socioeconomic status (SES) on the basis of the International SocioEconomic Index of occupational status (ISEI). ORs and corresponding 95% CIs (95% CIs) were calculated for the whole study sample and for seminoma and non-seminoma separately.<p></p>
Results Testicular cancer risk was modestly increased among participants with an apprenticeship (OR=1.7 (95% CI 1.0 to 2.8)) or a university degree (OR=1.6 (95% CI 0.9 to 2.8)) relative to those whose education was limited to school. Analysis of occupational sectors revealed an excess risk for farmers and farm-related occupations. No clear trend was observed for the analyses according to the ISEI-scale.<p></p>
Conclusions Social factors based on occupational measures were not a risk factor for testicular cancer in this study. The elevated risk in farmers and farm-related occupations warrants further research including analysis of occupational exposures.<p></p>
Semileptonic B Decays and Determination of |Vub|
Semileptonic decays of the B mesons provide an excellent probe for the weak
and strong interactions of the bottom quark. The large data samples collected
at the B Factories have pushed the experimental studies of the semileptonic B
decays to a new height and stimulated significant theoretical developments. I
review recent progresses in this fast-evolving field, with an emphasis on the
determination of the magnitude of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element
|Vub|.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Mod. Phys. Lett.
Superallowed 0+ to 0+ nuclear beta decays: A new survey with precision tests of the conserved vector current hypothesis and the standard model
A new critical survey is presented of all half-life, decay-energy and
branching-ratio measurements related to 20 0+ to 0+ beta decays. Compared with
our last review, there are numerous improvements: First, we have added 27
recently published measurements and eliminated 9 references; of particular
importance, the new data include a number of high-precision Penning-trap
measurements of decay energies. Second, we have used the recently improved
isospin symmetry-breaking corrections. Third, our calculation of the
statistical rate function now accounts for possible excitation in the daughter
atom. Finally, we have re-examined the systematic uncertainty associated with
the isospin symmetry-breaking corrections by evaluating the radial-overlap
correction using Hartree-Fock radial wave functions and comparing the results
with our earlier calculations, which used Saxon-Woods wave functions; the
provision for systematic uncertainty has been changed as a consequence. The new
corrected Ft values are impressively constant and their average, when combined
with the muon liftime, yields the up-down quark-mixing element of the
Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix, V_{ud} = 0.97425(22). The unitarity
test on the top row of the matrix becomes |V_{ud}|^2 + |V_{us}|^2 + |V_{ub}|^2
= 0.99995(61). Both V_{ud} and the unitarity sum have significantly reduced
uncertainties compared with our previous survey, although the new value of
V_{ud} is statistically consistent with the old one. From these data we also
set limits on the possible existence of scalar interactions, right-hand
currents and extra Z bosons. Finally, we discuss the priorities for future
theoretical and experimental work with the goal of making the CKM unitarity
test even more definitive.Comment: 36 pages, 11 tables, 9 figure
Microstructure and wear behaviour of high alloyed hot-work tool steels 1.2343 and 1.2367 under thermo-mechanical loading
Tools and their maintenance costs in hot forging processes account for a considerable proportion of the total components' costs. Forging tools undergo extreme heating and subsequent cooling during the forging process and between the forging cycles, respectively. This cyclic heating and cooling of the tool surfaces leads to local changes in the tool microstructure which result in hardening or softening of the material in different regions of the tool and consequently influence the tool strength. Temperature in the tool areas experiencing high thermo-mechanical loadings can exceed the austenitic temperature. Hence, a strong cooling, for example by spraying or lubrication, can lead to formation of a martensitic layer in the boundary zone of the tool. Due to its higher hardness, martensitic layer has greater resistance to wear as compared to the basic or tempered materials. In the scope of this paper, the austenitisation behaviours of two high alloyed hot-work tool steels, 1.2343 and 1.2367, have been characterized by means of dilatometer tests to obtain time-temperature-austenitisation (TTA) diagrams for specimen under thermo-mechanical loads. Moreover, continuous-cooling-transformation (CCT) diagrams were recorded. Metallographic investigations were carried out to gather a detailed understanding of the microstructure behaviour and its resulting hardness. With the results of this works, it is aimed to gather a detailed and accurate insight into the arising hardening and softening effects. This would eventually lead to an optimisation of the numerical modelling for tool wear prediction
Observation of Flux Reversal in a Symmetric Optical Thermal Ratchet
We demonstrate that a cycle of three holographic optical trapping patterns
can implement a thermal ratchet for diffusing colloidal spheres, and that the
ratchet-driven transport displays flux reversal as a function of the cycle
frequency and the inter-trap separation. Unlike previously described ratchet
models, the approach we describe involves three equivalent states, each of
which is locally and globally spatially symmetric, with spatiotemporal symmetry
being broken by the sequence of states.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, submitted for publication in Physical Review
Letter
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