1,486 research outputs found
Next-To-Leading Order Determination of Fragmentation Functions
We analyse LEP and PETRA data on single inclusive charged hadron
cross-sections to establish new sets of Next-to-Leading order Fragmentation
Functions. Data on hadro-production of large- hadrons are also used
to constrain the gluon Fragmentation Function. We carry out a critical
comparison with other NLO parametrizations
Utilization of tmRNA sequences for bacterial identification
In recent years, molecular approaches based on nucleotide sequences of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) have become widely used tools for identification of bacteria [1-4]. The high degree of evolutionary conservation makes 16S and 23S rRNA molecules very suitable for phylogenetic studies above the species level [3-5]. More than 16,000 sequences of 16S rRNA are presently available in public databases [4,6]. The 16S rRNA sequences are commonly used to design fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide probes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with these probes followed by observation with epifluorescence microscopy allows the identification of a specific microorganism in a mixture with other bacteria [2-4]. By shifting probe target sites from conservative to increasingly variable regions of rRNA, it is possible to adjust the probe specificity from kingdom to species level. Nevertheless, 16S rRNA sequences of closely related strains, subspecies, or even of different species are often identical and therefore can not be used as differentiating markers [3]. Another restriction concerns the accessibility of target sites to the probe in FISH experiments. The presence of secondary structures, or protection of rRNA segments by ribosomal proteins in fixed cells can limit the choice of variable regions as in situ targets for oligonucleotide probes [7,8]. One way to overcome the limitations of in situ identification of bacteria is to use molecules other than rRNA for phylogenetic identification of bacteria, for which nucleotide sequences would be sufficiently divergent to design species specific probes, and which would be more accessible to oligonucleotide probes. For this purpose we investigated the possibility of using tmRNA (also known as 10Sa RNA; [9-11]). This molecule was discovered in E. coli and described as small stable RNA, present at ~1,000 copies per cell [9,11]. The high copy number is an important prerequisite for FISH, which works best with naturally amplified target molecules. In E. coli, tmRNA is encoded by the ssrA gene, is 363 nucleotides long and has properties of tRNA and mRNA [12,13]. tmRNA was shown to be involved in the degradation of truncated proteins: the tmRNA associates with ribosomes stalled on mRNAs lacking stop codons, finally resulting in the addition of a C-terminal peptide tag to the truncated protein. The peptide tag directs the abnormal protein to proteolysis [14,15]. 165 tmRNA sequences have so far (August 2001; The tmRNA Website: http://www.indiana.edu/~tmrna/) been determined [16,17]. The tmRNA is likely to be present in all bacteria and has also been found in algae chloroplasts, the cyanelle of Cyanophora paradoxa and the mitochondrion of the flagellate Reclinomonas americana[10,17,18]
Low-mass lepton pair production at large transverse momentum
We study the transverse momentum distribution of low-mass lepton pairs
produced in hadronic scattering, using the perturbative QCD factorization
approach. We argue that the distribution at large transverse momentum, , with the pair's invariant mass as low as , can be systematically factorized into universal
parton-to-lepton pair fragmentation functions, parton distributions, and
perturbatively calculable partonic hard parts evaluated at a short distance
scale . We introduce a model for the input lepton pair
fragmentation functions at a scale GeV, which are then evolved
perturbatively to scales relevant at RHIC. Using the evolved fragmentation
functions, we calculate the transverse momentum distributions in hadron-hadron,
hadron-nucleus, and nucleus-nucleus collisions at RHIC. We also discuss the
sensitivity of the transverse momentum distribution of low-mass lepton pairs to
the gluon distribution.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, revised version to appear in Phys. Rev.
Photon - Jet Correlations and Constraints on Fragmentation Functions
We study the production of a large-pT photon in association with a jet in
proton-proton collisions. We examine the sensitivity of the jet rapidity
distribution to the gluon distribution function in the proton. We then assess
the sensitivity of various photon + jet correlation observables to the photon
fragmentation functions. We argue that RHIC data on photon-jet correlations can
be used to constrain the photon fragmentation functions in a region which was
barely accessible in LEP experiments.Comment: 23 pages, 9 figure
Optimization and thermal stability of TiAlN-Mo multilayers
In this work we focus on the optimization and thermal stability of nanocomposite TiAlN/Mo multilayers that were produced by reactive
magnetron sputtering on high-speed steel substrates, with modulation periods below 5 nm. These multilayers were annealed between 600–
900 ºC for 1 h in a vacuum furnace. Preliminary X-ray diffraction results reveal that these coatings are very stable up to 900 ºC, since the multilayer
chemical modulation is not severely affected. At intermediate annealing temperatures the modulation period decreases due to interdiffusion at
the interface, resulting in a thicker interface between metal/nitride and hence decreasing the thickness of those layers.Portuguese FCT/MCES scientific program
Jet-Tagged Back-Scattering Photons For Quark Gluon Plasma Tomography
Several sources of direct photons are known to contribute to the total photon
yield in high energy nuclear collisions. All of these photons carry
characteristic and important information on the initial nuclei or the hot and
dense fireball created in the collision. We investigate the possibility to
separate photons from back-scattering of high momentum quarks off quark gluon
plasma from other sources. Their unique kinematics can be utilized through high
energy jet triggers on the away-side. We discuss the basic idea and estimate
the feasibility of such a measurement at RHIC and LHC.Comment: Contribution to Hard Probes 2012; 4 pages, 4 figure
Direct photons in d+Au collisions at s_(NN)**(1/2)=200GeV with STAR
Results are presented of an ongoing analysis of direct photon production in
s_(NN)=200GeV deuteron-gold collisions with the STAR experiment at RHIC. A
significant excess of direct photons is observed near mid-rapidity 0<y<1 and
found to be consistent with next-to-leading order pQCD calculations including
the contribution from fragmentation photons.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, HotQuarks 200
- …