903 research outputs found
Tungsten Behavior at High Temperature and High Stress
Recently reported results on the tungsten lifetime/fatigue tests under conditions expected in the Neutrino Factory target have strengthened the case of solid target option for a Neutrino Factory. This paper gives description of the detailed measurements of the tungsten properties at high temperature and high stress. We have performed extensive set of measurements of the surface displacement and velocity of the tungsten wires that were stressed by passing a fast, high current pulse through a thin sample. Radial and longitudinal oscillations of the wire were measured by a Laser Doppler Vibrometer. The wire was operated at temperatures of 300-2500 K by adjusting the pulse repetition rate. In doing so we have tried to simulate the conditions (high stress and temperature) expected at the Neutrino Factory. Most important result of this study is an experimental confirmation that strength of tungsten remains high at high temperature and high stress. The experimental results have been found to agree very well with LS-DYNA modelling results
Cardiac Specific Gene Expression Changes in Long Term Culture of Murine Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Murine MSCs are a readily available source of adult stem cells enabling extensive in vitro study of this cell population. MSCs have been described as multipotent, and have been proven capable of differentiation into several connective tissue types. Furthermore some studies have suggested an ability to differentiate into non-connective tissue cell types such as the cardiomyocyte. The aim of this study was to differentiate murine MSCs toward cardiac lineage with the commonly used method of culture with 5’ Azacytidine. Critically, baseline analysis of gene expression of passage four MSCs demonstrated expression of key cardiac markers including cardiac troponin T and I, and the ryanodine receptor. Furthermore, expression analysis of these genes changed with time in culture and passage number. However, there was no significant alteration when cells were subjected to a differentiation protocol. This study therefore highlights the importance of analyzing baseline cells extensively, and indicates the limitations in extrapolating data for comparison between species. Furthermore this data brings into question the efficacy of cardiac differentiation using MSCs
Perfect state distinguishability and computational speedups with postselected closed timelike curves
Bennett and Schumacher's postselected quantum teleportation is a model of
closed timelike curves (CTCs) that leads to results physically different from
Deutsch's model. We show that even a single qubit passing through a
postselected CTC (P-CTC) is sufficient to do any postselected quantum
measurement, and we discuss an important difference between "Deutschian" CTCs
(D-CTCs) and P-CTCs in which the future existence of a P-CTC might affect the
present outcome of an experiment. Then, based on a suggestion of Bennett and
Smith, we explicitly show how a party assisted by P-CTCs can distinguish a set
of linearly independent quantum states, and we prove that it is not possible
for such a party to distinguish a set of linearly dependent states. The power
of P-CTCs is thus weaker than that of D-CTCs because the Holevo bound still
applies to circuits using them regardless of their ability to conspire in
violating the uncertainty principle. We then discuss how different notions of a
quantum mixture that are indistinguishable in linear quantum mechanics lead to
dramatically differing conclusions in a nonlinear quantum mechanics involving
P-CTCs. Finally, we give explicit circuit constructions that can efficiently
factor integers, efficiently solve any decision problem in the intersection of
NP and coNP, and probabilistically solve any decision problem in NP. These
circuits accomplish these tasks with just one qubit traveling back in time, and
they exploit the ability of postselected closed timelike curves to create
grandfather paradoxes for invalid answers.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures; Foundations of Physics (2011
Footprints and human evolution: Homeostasis in foot function?
Human, and hominin tracks, occur infrequently within the geological record as rare acts of sedimentary preservation. They have the potential, however, to reveal important information about the locomotion of our ancestors, especially when the tracks pertain to different hominin species. The number of known track sites is small and in making inter-species comparisons, one has to work with small track populations that are often from different depositional settings, thereby complicating our interpretations of them. Here we review several key track sites of palaeoanthropological significance across one of the most important evolutionary transitions (Australopithecus to Homo) which involved the development of anatomy and physiology better-suited to endurance running and walking. The sites include the oldest known hominin track site at Laetoli (3.66 Ma; Tanzania) and those at Ileret (1.5 Ma; Kenya). Tracks from both sites are compared with modern tracks made by habitually unshod individuals using a whole-foot analysis. We conclude that, contrary to some authors, foot function has remained relatively unchanged, perhaps experiencing evolutionary homeostasis, for the last 3.66 Ma. These data suggest that the evolutionary development of modern biomechanical locomotion pre-dates the earliest human tracks and also the transition from the genus Australopithecus to Homo
Nitrogen sources, transport and processing in peri-urban floodplains
Peri-urban floodplains are an important interface between developed land and the aquatic environment and may act as a source or sink for contaminants moving from urban areas towards surface water courses. With increasing pressure from urban development the functioning of floodplains is coming under greater scrutiny. A number of peri-urban sites have been found to be populated with legacy landfills which could potentially cause pollution of adjacent river bodies. Here, a peri-urban floodplain adjoining the city of Oxford, UK, with the River Thames has been investigated over a period of three years through repeated sampling of groundwaters from existing and specially constructed piezometers. A nearby landfill has been found to have imprinted a strong signal on the groundwater with particularly high concentrations of ammonium and generally low concentrations of nitrate and dissolved oxygen. An intensive study of nitrogen dynamics through the use of N-species chemistry, nitrogen isotopes and dissolved nitrous oxide reveals that there is little or no denitrification in the majority of the main landfill plume, and neither is the ammonium significantly retarded by sorption to the aquifer sediments. A simple model has determined the flux of total nitrogen and ammonium from the landfill, through the floodplain and into the river. Over an 8 km reach of the river, which has a number of other legacy landfills, it is estimated that 27.5 tonnes of ammonium may be delivered to the river annually. Although this is a relatively small contribution to the total river nitrogen, it may represent up to 15% of the ammonium loading at the study site and over the length of the reach could increase in-stream concentrations by nearly 40%. Catchment management plans that encompass floodplains in the peri-urban environment need to take into account the likely risk to groundwater and surface water quality that these environments pose
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Oxidation of polycrystalline Ni studied by spectromicroscopy: Phase separation in the early stages of crystallite growth
Low-energy and photoemission electron microscopy enables the determination of facet planes of polycrystalline
surfaces and the study of their chemical composition at the sub-m scale. Using these techniques the
early oxidation stages of nickel were studied. After exposing the surface to 20 L of oxygen at 373 K a uniform
layer of chemisorbed oxygen was found on all facets. After oxygen exposure at 473–673 K, small NiO
crystallites are formed on all facets but not in the vicinity of all grain boundaries. The crystallites are separated by areas of bare Ni without significant oxygen coverage
Calculations of parity nonconserving s-d transitions in Cs, Fr, Ba II, and Ra II
We have performed ab initio mixed-states and sum-over-states calculations of
parity nonconserving (PNC) electric dipole (E1) transition amplitudes between
s-d electron states of Cs, Fr, Ba II, and Ra II. For the lower states of these
atoms we have also calculated energies, E1 transition amplitudes, and
lifetimes. We have shown that PNC E1 transition amplitudes between s-d states
can be calculated to high accuracy. Contrary to the Cs 6s-7s transition, in
these transitions there are no strong cancelations between different terms in
the sum-over-states approach. In fact, there is one dominating term which
deviates from the sum by less than 20%. This term corresponds to an s-p_{1/2}
weak matrix element, which can be calculated to better than 1%, and a
p_{1/2}-d_{3/2} E1 transition amplitude, which can be measured. Also, the s-d
amplitudes are about four times larger than the corresponding s-s transitions.
We have shown that by using a hybrid mixed-states/sum-over-states approach the
accuracy of the calculations of PNC s-d amplitudes could compete with that of
Cs 6s-7s if p_{1/2}-d_{3/2} E1 amplitudes are measured to high accuracy.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Measurement of the 6s - 7p transition probabilities in atomic cesium and a revised value for the weak charge Q_W
We have measured the 6s - 7p_{1/2,3/2} transition probabilities in atomic
cesium using a direct absorption technique. We use our result plus other
previously measured transition rates to derive an accurate value of the vector
transition polarizability \beta and, consequently, re-evaluate the weak charge
Q_W. Our derived value Q_W=-72.65(49) agrees with the prediction of the
standard model to within one standard deviation.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Entanglement of a Double Dot with a Quantum Point Contact
Entanglement between particle and detector is known to be inherent in the
measurement process. Gurvitz recently analyzed the coupling of an electron in a
double dot (DD) to a quantum point contact (QPC) detector. In this paper we
examine the dynamics of entanglement that result between the DD and QPC. The
rate of entanglement is optimized as a function of coupling when the electron
is initially in one of the dots. It decreases asymptotically towards zero with
increased coupling. The opposite behavior is observed when the DD is initially
in a superposition: the rate of entanglement increases unboundedly as the
coupling is increased. The possibility that there are conditions for which
measurement occurs versus entanglement is considered
Off-Diagonal Hyperfine Interaction and Parity Non-conservation in Cesium
We have performed relativistic many-body calculations of the hyperfine
interaction in the and states of Cs, including the off-diagonal
matrix element. The calculations were used to determine the accuracy of the
semi-empirical formula for the electromagnetic transition amplitude
induced by the hyperfine interaction. We have found that even
though the contribution of the many-body effects into the matrix elements is
very large, the square root formula remains valid to the accuracy of a fraction of .
The result for the M1-amplitude is used in the interpretation of the
parity-violation measurement in the transition in Cs which claims a
possible deviation from the Standard model.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, LaTeX, Submitted to Phys. Rev.
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