Relativistic Model of Detonation Transition from Neutron to Strange Matter

We study the conversion of neutron matter into strange matter as a detonation wave. The detonation is assumed to originate from a central region in a spherically symmetric background of neutrons with a varying radial density distribution. We present self-similar solutions for the propagation of detonation in static and collapsing backgrounds of neutron matter. The solutions are obtained in the framework of general relativistic hydrodynamics, and are relevant for the possible transition of neutron into strange stars. Conditions for the formation of either bare or crusted strange stars are discussed.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to IJMP

Hepatitis with Fibrin-Ring Granulomas

Abstract : We describe a 66-year-old woman hospitalized with fever, fatigue and hepatopathy. In her medical history arterial hypertension (treated with propranolol and lisinopril), diabetes mellitus type 2 (no treatment before admission) and a gout arthropathy were noted wherefore a therapy with allopurinol 300 mg per day has been started 4 months before. Liver biopsy revealed fibrin-ring granulomas, compatible with allopurinolinduced hepatitis. Because of persistence of high fever after stopping allopurinol, steroids (1 mg/kg) were started. Under this treatment, she developed pancytopenia and fever. The bone marrow aspiration revealed Leishmania infantum. A second liver biopsy showed amastigotes and a disappearance of the granulomas. The history revealed a travel to Malta 2 years earlier. Despite adequate treatment with liposomal amphotericin B the patient deteriorated and finally died in septic shoc

Relativistic Mean Field Approximation in a Density Dependent Parametrization Model at Finite Temperature

In this work we calculate the equation of state of nuclear matter for different proton fractions at zero and finite temperature within the Thomas Fermi approach considering three different parameter sets: the well-known NL3 and TM1 and a density dependent parametrization proposed by Typel and Wolter. The main differences are outlined and the consequences of imposing beta-stability in these models are discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figure

Phenomenological Lambda-Nuclear Interactions

Variational Monte Carlo calculations for ${_{\Lambda}^4}H$ (ground and excited states) and ${_{\Lambda}^5}He$ are performed to decipher information on ${\Lambda}$-nuclear interactions. Appropriate operatorial nuclear and ${\Lambda}$-nuclear correlations have been incorporated to minimize the expectation values of the energies. We use the Argonne $\upsilon_{18}$ two-body NN along with the Urbana IX three-body NNN interactions. The study demonstrates that a large part of the splitting energy in ${_{\Lambda}^4}H$ ($0^+-1^+$) is due to the three-body ${\Lambda}$ NN forces. $_{\Lambda}^{17}O$ hypernucleus is analyzed using the {\it s}-shell results. $\Lambda$ binding to nuclear matter is calculated within the variational framework using the Fermi-Hypernetted-Chain technique. There is a need to correctly incorporate the three-body ${\Lambda}$ NN correlations for $\Lambda$ binding to nuclear matter.Comment: 18 pages (TeX), 2 figure

Lambda-proton correlations in relativistic heavy ion collisions

The prospect of using lambda-proton correlations to extract source sizes in relativistic heavy ion collisions is investigated. It is found that the strong interaction induces a large peak in the correlation function that provides more sensitive source size measurements than two-proton correlations under some circumstances. The prospect of using lambda-proton correlations to measure the time lag between lambda and proton emissions is also studied.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure, revtex style. Two short paragraphs are added at referees' recommendations. Phys. Rev. Lett. in pres

Variational calculations of the Λ\Lambda-seperation energy of the Λ17_{\Lambda}^{17}O hypernucleus

Variational Monte Carlo calculations have been made for the $_{ \Lambda}^{17}$O hypernucleus using realistic two- and three-baryon interactions. A two pion exchange potential with spin- and space-exchange components is used for the $\Lambda$N potential. Three-body two-pion exchange and strongly repulsive dispersive $\Lambda$NN interactions are also included. The trial wave function is constructed from pair- and triplet-correlation operators acting on a single particle determinant. These operators consist of central, spin, isospin, tensor and three- baryon potential components. A cluster Monte Carlo method is developed for noncentral correlations and is used with up to four-baryon clusters in our calculations. The three-baryon $\Lambda$NN force is discussed.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figs available by fax., for publication in Phys. Rev.

Searches for Stable Strangelets in Ordinary Matter: Overview and a Recent Example

Our knowledge on the possible existence in nature of stable exotic particles depends solely upon experimental observation. Guided by this general principle and motivated by theoretical hypotheses on the existence of stable particles of strange quark matter, a variety of experimental searches have been performed. We provide an introduction to the theoretical hypotheses, an overview of the past searches, and a more detailed description of a recent search for helium-like strangelets in the Earth's atmosphere using a sensitive laser spectroscopy method

People of the British Isles: preliminary analysis of genotypes and surnames in a UK control population

There is a great deal of interest in fine scale population structure in the UK, both as a signature of historical immigration events and because of the effect population structure may have on disease association studies. Although population structure appears to have a minor impact on the current generation of genome-wide association studies, it is likely to play a significant part in the next generation of studies designed to search for rare variants. A powerful way of detecting such structure is to control and document carefully the provenance of the samples involved. Here we describe the collection of a cohort of rural UK samples (The People of the British Isles), aimed at providing a well-characterised UK control population that can be used as a resource by the research community as well as providing fine scale genetic information on the British population. So far, some 4,000 samples have been collected, the majority of which fit the criteria of coming from a rural area and having all four grandparents from approximately the same area. Analysis of the first 3,865 samples that have been geocoded indicates that 75% have a mean distance between grandparental places of birth of 37.3km, and that about 70% of grandparental places of birth can be classed as rural. Preliminary genotyping of 1,057 samples demonstrates the value of these samples for investigating fine scale population structure within the UK, and shows how this can be enhanced by the use of surnames

Neutron star matter equation of state and gravitational wave emission

The EOS of strongly interacting matter at densities ten to fifteen orders of magnitude larger than the typical density of terrestrial macroscopic objects determines a number of neutron star properties, including the pattern of gravitational waves emitted following the excitation of nonradial oscillation modes. This paper reviews some of the approaches employed to model neutron star matter, as well as the prospects for obtaining new insights from the experimental study of gravitational waves emitted by neutron stars.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures. To be published as a Brief Review in Modern Physics Letters

Detectability of Strange Matter in Heavy Ion Experiments

We discuss the properties of two distinct forms of hypothetical strange matter, small lumps of strange quark matter (strangelets) and of hyperon matter (metastable exotic multihypernuclear objects: MEMOs), with special emphasis on their relevance for present and future heavy ion experiments. The masses of small strangelets up to A = 40 are calculated using the MIT bag model with shell mode filling for various bag parameters. The strangelets are checked for possible strong and weak hadronic decays, also taking into account multiple hadron decays. It is found that strangelets which are stable against strong decay are most likely highly negative charged, contrary to previous findings. Strangelets can be stable against weak hadronic decay but their masses and charges are still rather high. This has serious impact on the present high sensitivity searches in heavy ion experiments at the AGS and CERN facilities. On the other hand, highly charged MEMOs are predicted on the basis of an extended relativistic mean-field model. Those objects could be detected in future experiments searching for short-lived, rare composites. It is demonstrated that future experiments can be sensitive to a much wider variety of strangelets.Comment: 26 pages, 5 figures, uses RevTeX and epsf.st