541 research outputs found
Pitch-angle scattering in magnetostatic turbulence. I. Test-particle simulations and the validity of analytical results
Context. Spacecraft observations have motivated the need for a refined
description of the phase-space distribution function. Of particular importance
is the pitch-angle diffusion coefficient that occurs in the Fokker-Planck
transport equation. Aims. Simulations and analytical test-particle theories are
compared to verify the diffusion description of particle transport, which does
not allow for non-Markovian behavior. Methods. A Monte-Carlo simulation code
was used to trace the trajectories of test particles moving in turbulent
magnetic fields. From the ensemble average, the pitch-angle Fokker-Planck
coefficient is obtained via the mean square displacement. Results. It is shown
that, while excellent agreement with analytical theories can be obtained for
slab turbulence, considerable deviations are found for isotropic turbulence. In
addition, all Fokker-Planck coefficients tend to zero for high time values.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astron. Astrophy
Photoproduction of mesons in nuclei at GeV energies
In a transport model that combines initial state interactions of the photon
with final state interactions of the produced particles we present a
calculation of inclusive photoproduction of mesons in nuclei in the energy
range from 1 to 7 GeV. We give predictions for the photoproduction cross
sections of pions, etas, kaons, antikaons, and invariant mass
spectra in ^{12}C and ^{208}Pb. The effects of nuclear shadowing and final
state interaction of the produced particles are discussed in detail.Comment: Text added in summary in general reliability of the method,
references updated. Phys. Rev. C (2000) in pres
e^+e^- Pair Production from A Reactions
We present a calculation of e^+e^- production in reactions at MAMI
and TJNAF energies within a semi-classical BUU transport model. Dilepton
invariant mass spectra for C, Ca and Pb are calculated
at 0.8, 1.5 and 2.2 GeV. We focus on observable effects of medium modifications
of the and mesons. The in-medium widths of these mesons are
taken into account in a dynamical, consistent way. We discuss the transport
theoretical treatment of broad resonances.Comment: 42 pages including 16 figure
Aspects of thermal and chemical equilibration of hadronic matter
We study thermal and chemical equilibration in 'infinite' hadron matter as
well as in finite size relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions using a BUU
cascade transport model that contains resonance and string degrees-of-freedom.
The 'infinite' hadron matter is simulated within a cubic box with periodic
boundary conditions. The various equilibration times depend on baryon density
and energy density and are much shorter for particles consisting of light
quarks then for particles including strangeness. For kaons and antikaons the
chemical equilibration time is found to be larger than 40 fm/c for all
baryon and energy densities considered. The inclusion of continuum excitations,
i.e. hadron 'strings', leads to a limiting temperature of 150 MeV.
We, furthermore, study the expansion of a hadronic fireball after
equilibration. The slope parameters of the particles after expansion increase
with their mass; the pions leave the fireball much faster then nucleons and
accelerate subsequently heavier hadrons by rescattering ('pion wind'). If the
system before expansion is close to the limiting temperature , the slope
parameters for all particles after expansion practically do not depend on
(initial) energy and baryon density. Finally, the equilibration in relativistic
nucleus-nucleus collision is considered. Since the reaction time here is much
shorter than the equilibration time for strangeness, a chemical equilibrium of
strange particles in heavy-ion collisions is not supported by our transport
calculations. However, the various particle spectra can approximately be
described within the blast model.Comment: 39 pages, LaTeX, including 18 postscript figures, Nucl. Phys. A, in
pres
Electron Power-Law Spectra in Solar and Space Plasmas
Particles are accelerated to very high, non-thermal energies in solar and
space plasma environments. While energy spectra of accelerated electrons often
exhibit a power law, it remains unclear how electrons are accelerated to high
energies and what processes determine the power-law index . Here, we
review previous observations of the power-law index in a variety of
different plasma environments with a particular focus on sub-relativistic
electrons. It appears that in regions more closely related to magnetic
reconnection (such as the `above-the-looptop' solar hard X-ray source and the
plasma sheet in Earth's magnetotail), the spectra are typically soft ( 4). This is in contrast to the typically hard spectra ( 4) that are observed in coincidence with shocks. The difference
implies that shocks are more efficient in producing a larger non-thermal
fraction of electron energies when compared to magnetic reconnection. A caveat
is that during active times in Earth's magnetotail, values seem
spatially uniform in the plasma sheet, while power-law distributions still
exist even in quiet times. The role of magnetotail reconnection in the electron
power-law formation could therefore be confounded with these background
conditions. Because different regions have been studied with different
instrumentations and methodologies, we point out a need for more systematic and
coordinated studies of power-law distributions for a better understanding of
possible scaling laws in particle acceleration as well as their universality.Comment: 67 pages, 15 figures; submitted to Space Science Reviews; comments
welcom
Direct Test of the Scalar-Vector Lorentz Structure of the Nucleon- and Antinucleon-Nucleus Potential
Quantum Hadrodynamics in mean field approximation describes the effective
nucleon-nucleus potential (about -50 MeV deep) as resulting from a strong
repulsive vector (about 400 MeV) and a strong attractive scalar (about -450
MeV) contribution. This scalar-vector Lorentz structure implies a significant
lowering of the threshold for photoproduction on a nucleus by about
850 MeV as compared to the free case since charge conjugation reverses the sign
of the vector potential contribution in the equation of motion for the
states. It also implies a certain size of the photon induced
pair creation cross section near threshold which is calculated for a
target nucleus Pb. We also indicate a measurable second signature of
the photoproduction process by estimating the increased cross
section for emission of charged pions as a consequence of
annihilation within the nucleus.Comment: 18 pages latex, 5 PS figure
Photoproduction of pi0-mesons from nuclei
Photoproduction of neutral pions from nuclei (carbon, calcium, niobium, lead)
has been studied for incident photon energies from 200 MeV to 800 MeV with the
TAPS detector using the Glasgow photon tagging spectrometer at the Mainz MAMI
accelerator. Data were obtained for the inclusive photoproduction of neutral
pions and the partial channels of quasifree single pi0, double pi0, and
pi0pi+/- photoproduction. They have been analyzed in terms of the in-medium
behavior of nucleon resonances and the pion - nucleus interaction. They are
compared to earlier measurements from the deuteron and to the predictions of a
Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (BUU) transport model for photon induced pion
production from nuclei.Comment: 15 pages, 22 figures, accepted for publication in EPJ
Non-locality and Medium Effects in the Exclusive Photoproduction of Eta Mesons on Nuclei
A relativistic model for the quasifree exclusive photoproduction of
mesons on nuclei is extended to include both non-local and medium effects. The
reaction is assumed to proceed via the dominant contribution of the
S(1535) resonance. The complicated integrals resulting from the
non-locality are simplified using a modified version of a method given by
Cooper and Maxwell. The non-locality effects are found to affect the magnitude
of the cross section. Some possibilities reflecting the effects of the medium
on the propagation and properties of the intermediate S resonance are
studied. The effects of allowing the S to interact with the medium via
mean field scalar and vector potentials are considered. Both broadening of
width and reduction in mass of the resonance lead to a suppression of the
calculated cross sections.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure
The effect of N-methyl-formimino-methylester on the neural olfactory threshold in albino mice
The effects of N-methyl-formimino-methylester were studied in albino mice. Very short exposure (0.5 and 1 s) to the concentrated vapour led to an increase of the neural olfactory threshold to geraniol . There was a slow recovery of the olfactory sensitivity and after about 40 days the threshold values returned to normal
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