25 research outputs found
Extensive Air Shower Simulations at the Highest Energies
Air shower simulation programs are essential tools for the analysis of data
from cosmic ray experiments and for planning the layout of new detectors. They
are used to estimate the energy and mass of the primary particle. Unfortunately
the model uncertainties translate directly into systematic errors in the energy
and mass determination. Aiming at energies eV, the models have to
be extrapolated far beyond the energies available at accelerators. On the other
hand, hybrid measurement of ground particle densities and calorimetric shower
energy, as will be provided by the Pierre Auger Observatory, will strongly
constrain shower models. While the main uncertainty of contemporary models
comes from our poor knowledge of the (soft) hadronic interactions at high
energies, also electromagnetic interactions, low-energy hadronic interactions
and the particle transport influence details of the shower development. We
review here the physics processes and some of the computational techniques of
air shower models presently used for highest energies, and discuss the
properties and limitations of the models.Comment: 32 pages, 18 figures, accepted by Astroparticle Physic
Event-by-event fluctuations of average transverse momentum in central Pb+Pb collisions at 158 GeV per nucleon
We present first data on event-by-event fluctuations in the average
transverse momentum of charged particles produced in Pb+Pb collisions at the
CERN SPS. This measurement provides previously unavailable information allowing
sensitive tests of microscopic and thermodynamic collision models and to search
for fluctuations expected to occur in the vicinity of the predicted QCD phase
transition. We find that the observed variance of the event-by-event average
transverse momentum is consistent with independent particle production modified
by the known two-particle correlations due to quantum statistics and final
state interactions and folded with the resolution of the NA49 apparatus. For
two specific models of non-statistical fluctuations in transverse momentum
limits are derived in terms of fluctuation amplitude. We show that a
significant part of the parameter space for a model of isospin fluctuations
predicted as a consequence of chiral symmetry restoration in a non-equilibrium
scenario is excluded by our measurement.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Phys. Lett.
Phi meson production in Au+Au and p+p collisions at sqrt (s)=200 GeV
We report the STAR measurement of Phi meson production in Au+Au and p+p
collisions at sqrt (s)=200 GeV. Using the event mixing technique, the Phi
spectra and yields are obtained at mid-rapidity for five centrality bins in
Au+Au collisions and for non-singly-diffractive p+p collisions. It is found
that the Phi transverse momentum distributions from Au+Au collisions are better
fitted with a single-exponential while the p+p spectrum is better described by
a double-exponential distribution. The measured nuclear modification factors
indicate that Phi production in central Au+Au collisions is suppressed relative
to peripheral collisions when scaled by the number of binary collisions. The
systematics of versus centrality and the constant Phi/K- ratio versus beam
species, centrality, and collision energy rule out kaon coalescence as the
dominant mechanism for Phi production.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Energy and system size dependence of \phi meson production in Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions
We study the beam-energy and system-size dependence of \phi meson production
(using the hadronic decay mode \phi -- K+K-) by comparing the new results from
Cu+Cu collisions and previously reported Au+Au collisions at \sqrt{s_NN} = 62.4
and 200 GeV measured in the STAR experiment at RHIC. Data presented are from
mid-rapidity (|y|<0.5) for 0.4 < pT < 5 GeV/c. At a given beam energy, the
transverse momentum distributions for \phi mesons are observed to be similar in
yield and shape for Cu+Cu and Au+Au colliding systems with similar average
numbers of participating nucleons. The \phi meson yields in nucleus-nucleus
collisions, normalised by the average number of participating nucleons, are
found to be enhanced relative to those from p+p collisions with a different
trend compared to strange baryons. The enhancement for \phi mesons is observed
to be higher at \sqrt{s_NN} = 200 GeV compared to 62.4 GeV. These observations
for the produced \phi(s\bar{s}) mesons clearly suggest that, at these collision
energies, the source of enhancement of strange hadrons is related to the
formation of a dense partonic medium in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions
and cannot be alone due to canonical suppression of their production in smaller
systems.Comment: 20 pages and 5 figure
Experimental and Theoretical Challenges in the Search for the Quark Gluon Plasma: The STAR Collaboration's Critical Assessment of the Evidence from RHIC Collisions
We review the most important experimental results from the first three years
of nucleus-nucleus collision studies at RHIC, with emphasis on results from the
STAR experiment, and we assess their interpretation and comparison to theory.
The theory-experiment comparison suggests that central Au+Au collisions at RHIC
produce dense, rapidly thermalizing matter characterized by: (1) initial energy
densities above the critical values predicted by lattice QCD for establishment
of a Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP); (2) nearly ideal fluid flow, marked by
constituent interactions of very short mean free path, established most
probably at a stage preceding hadron formation; and (3) opacity to jets. Many
of the observations are consistent with models incorporating QGP formation in
the early collision stages, and have not found ready explanation in a hadronic
framework. However, the measurements themselves do not yet establish
unequivocal evidence for a transition to this new form of matter. The
theoretical treatment of the collision evolution, despite impressive successes,
invokes a suite of distinct models, degrees of freedom and assumptions of as
yet unknown quantitative consequence. We pose a set of important open
questions, and suggest additional measurements, at least some of which should
be addressed in order to establish a compelling basis to conclude definitively
that thermalized, deconfined quark-gluon matter has been produced at RHIC.Comment: 101 pages, 37 figures; revised version to Nucl. Phys.
Kaon and Pion Production in Central Au+Au Collisions at \sqrt{s_{NN}}=62.4 GeV
Invariant pT spectra and rapidity densities covering a large rapidity
range(-0.1 < y < 3.5) are presented for and mesons from
central Au+Au collisions at = 62.4 GeV. The mid-rapidity yields
of meson particles relative to their anti-particles are found to be close to
unity (, ) while the anti-proton to
proton ratio is . The rapidity dependence of the
ratio is consistent with a small increase towards forward
rapidities while the and ratios show a steep decrease to
0.3 for kaons and 0.022 for protons at . It is observed that
the kaon production relative to its own anti-particle as well as to pion
production in wide rapidity and energy ranges shows an apparent universal
behavior consistent with the baryo-chemical potential, as deduced from the
ratio, being the driving parameter.Comment: Submitted to PLB, 6 journal pages, 7 figure
Insulin disappearance rate in pregnant and non-pregnant women, and in non-pregnant women given GHRIH
EFEITO DO CARBARYL SOBRE O 'RUSSETING' DA MAÇÃ (MALUS DOMESTICA BORKH.), CULTIVARES 'GALA', 'FUJI' E 'GOLDEN DELICIOUS' EFFECT OF CARBARYL ON RUSSETING OF APPLE (Malus domestica Borkh.), CULTIVARS 'GALA', 'FUJI' AND 'GOLDEN DELICIOUS'
O "russeting" da maçã caracteriza-se por uma camada de cortiça formada entre as células da epiderme e que dá um aspecto de rugosidade à superfície do fruto, depreciando-o para a comercialização. O raleio de frutos é uma prática cultural bastante difundida entre os produtores de maçã. Pode ser efetuada manualmente, quimicamente ou pela associação de ambos. Dentre os produtos mais usados para raleio químico, estão o ácido naftaleno acético (ANA) e o carbaryl, um inseticida carbamato, conhecido comercialmente como Sevinâ. Há duas formulações de carbaryl no mercado brasileiro, mas não existem dados de pesquisa suficientes que permitam escolher a formulação mais adequada. Há citações de que o carbaryl pode causar "russeting" em maçãs. O objetivo deste trabalho foi testar as duas formulações de carbaryl existentes no mercado, quanto ao seu efeito sobre o "russeting" nas maçãs. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em Fraiburgo e em Caçador, Santa Catarina, Brasil. Foram avaliadas duas concentrações, 500 ppm e 1.500 ppm de carbaryl. Foram testadas duas formulações, uma em pó-molhável com 85% de i.a. e outra em suspensão concentrada com 48% de i.a. Como a incidência de "russeting" varia entre cultivares, testou-se em 'Gala', 'Fuji' e 'Golden Delicious', que são as três mais importantes no mercado brasileiro. Os resultados mostraram que: 1) A ocorrência de "russeting" para as três cultivares foi maior em Fraiburgo do que em Caçador; 2) O carbaryl, na formulação solução concentrada, causou mais "russeting" em 'Golden Delicious', em Caçador, indicando que o seu uso deve ser evitado para essa cultivar, dando-se preferência à formulação pó-molhável; 3)Tanto a formulação quanto a concentração de carbaryl não afetaram a incidência de "russeting" nas cultivares 'Gala' e 'Fuji' nos dois locais.<br>Russeting is characterized by the development of a cork layer among the epidermal cells giving an aspect of rugosity to the fruit surface, reducing its marketability. Fruit thinning is a technique widely used by apple growers. It can be done by hand or by using chemical thinning or by both, chemical and hand thinning. Among the most used chemical for thinning are naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and the insecticide carbaryl, commonly known as Sevinâ. In the Brazilian market there are two formulations of carbaryl: wetted powder and flowable solution. None of them are registered as chemical thinning for apple in Brazil. However there is not enough official research data in Brazil in this area that could support the best choice as far as russeting on the fruit is concerned. Some authors say that carbaryl may cause russeting on apples. This trial aimed to evaluate the two carbaryl formulations comparing its effect concerned to russeting. The experiments were carried out in two areas: Fraiburgo and Caçador, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Two concentrations: 500 ppm and 1.500 ppm of each formulation were tested. One of the formulations was a wetted powder with 85% of a.i., the other was a flowable solution with 48% of a.i. As the incidence of russeting on apple may vary according to cultivar, the experiments were carried out on 'Gala', 'Fuji' and 'Golden Delicious'. It was concluded that: 1) Fraiburgo climactic conditions were much more favorable to russeting than those in Caçador; 2) carbaryl did not cause russeting on 'Gala' and 'Fuji' in both locations; 3) Carbaryl as flowable solution caused more russeting in 'Golden Delicious' at Caçador, so this formulation should not be recommended for this cultivar