8,352 research outputs found
Radii and binding energies in oxygen isotopes: a puzzle for nuclear forces
We present a systematic study of both nuclear radii and binding energies in
(even) oxygen isotopes from the valley of stability to the neutron drip line.
Both charge and matter radii are compared to state-of-the-art {\it ab initio}
calculations along with binding energy systematics. Experimental matter radii
are obtained through a complete evaluation of the available elastic proton
scattering data of oxygen isotopes. We show that, in spite of a good
reproduction of binding energies, {\it ab initio} calculations with
conventional nuclear interactions derived within chiral effective field theory
fail to provide a realistic description of charge and matter radii. A novel
version of two- and three-nucleon forces leads to considerable improvement of
the simultaneous description of the three observables for stable isotopes, but
shows deficiencies for the most neutron-rich systems. Thus, crucial challenges
related to the development of nuclear interactions remain.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, Submitted to Nature Physics, April 12th 2016;
first version (v1 Arxiv) Internal Report Preprint Irfu-18 December 2015. 6
p., 5 fig., Submitted to Physical Review Letters, April 29, May 3rd 2016; 2nd
version. Int. Rep. Irfu-24 May 2016. Published in PRL, 27 July 2016 with the
modified title (Radii and binding energies in oxygen isotopes: a challenge
for nuclear forces
The Lax pairs for the Holt system
By using non-canonical transformation between the Holt system and the
Henon-Heiles system the Lax pairs for all the integrable cases of the Holt
system are constructed from the known Lax representations for the Henon-Heiles
system.Comment: 7 pages, LaTeX2e, a4.st
Cryptic choice of conspecific sperm controlled by the impact of ovarian fluid on sperm swimming behavior
Despite evidence that variation in male–female reproductive compatibility exists in many fertilization systems, identifying mechanisms of cryptic female choice at the gamete level has been a challenge. Here, under risks of genetic incompatibility through hybridization, we show how salmon and trout eggs promote fertilization by conspecific sperm. Using in vitro fertilization experiments that replicate the gametic microenvironment, we find complete interfertility between both species. However, if either species’ ova were presented with equivalent numbers of both sperm types, conspecific sperm gained fertilization precedence. Surprisingly, the species’ identity of the eggs did not explain this cryptic female choice, which instead was primarily controlled by conspecific ovarian fluid, a semiviscous, protein-rich solution that bathes the eggs and is released at spawning. Video analyses revealed that ovarian fluid doubled sperm motile life span and straightened swimming trajectory, behaviors allowing chemoattraction up a concentration gradient. To confirm chemoattraction, cell migration tests through membranes containing pores that approximated to the egg micropyle showed that conspecific ovarian fluid attracted many more spermatozoa through the membrane, compared with heterospecific fluid or water. These combined findings together identify how cryptic female choice can evolve at the gamete level and promote reproductive isolation, mediated by a specific chemoattractive influence of ovarian fluid on sperm swimming behavior
On the Drach superintegrable systems
Cubic invariants for two-dimensional degenerate Hamiltonian systems are
considered by using variables of separation of the associated St\"ackel
problems with quadratic integrals of motion. For the superintegrable St\"ackel
systems the cubic invariant is shown to admit new algebro-geometric
representation that is far more elementary than the all the known
representations in physical variables. A complete list of all known systems on
the plane which admit a cubic invariant is discussed.Comment: 16 pages, Latex2e+Amssym
A Geometrical Method of Decoupling
The computation of tunes and matched beam distributions are essential steps
in the analysis of circular accelerators. If certain symmetries - like midplane
symmetrie - are present, then it is possible to treat the betatron motion in
the horizontal, the vertical plane and (under certain circumstances) the
longitudinal motion separately using the well-known Courant-Snyder theory, or
to apply transformations that have been described previously as for instance
the method of Teng and Edwards. In a preceeding paper it has been shown that
this method requires a modification for the treatment of isochronous cyclotrons
with non-negligible space charge forces. Unfortunately the modification was
numerically not as stable as desired and it was still unclear, if the extension
would work for all thinkable cases. Hence a systematic derivation of a more
general treatment seemed advisable.
In a second paper the author suggested the use of real Dirac matrices as
basic tools to coupled linear optics and gave a straightforward recipe to
decouple positive definite Hamiltonians with imaginary eigenvalues. In this
article this method is generalized and simplified in order to formulate a
straightforward method to decouple Hamiltonian matrices with eigenvalues on the
real and the imaginary axis. It is shown that this algebraic decoupling is
closely related to a geometric "decoupling" by the orthogonalization of the
vectors , and , that were introduced with the
so-called "electromechanical equivalence". We present a structure-preserving
block-diagonalization of symplectic or Hamiltonian matrices, respectively. When
used iteratively, the decoupling algorithm can also be applied to n-dimensional
systems and requires iterations to converge to a given
precision.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figur
Identification of mixed-symmetry states in an odd-mass nearly-spherical nucleus
The low-spin structure of 93Nb has been studied using the (n,n' gamma)
reaction at neutron energies ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 MeV and the 94Zr(p,2n
gamma)93Nb reaction at bombarding energies from 11.5 to 19 MeV. States at
1779.7 and 1840.6 keV, respectively, are proposed as mixed-symmetry states
associated with the coupling of a proton hole in the p_1/2 orbit to the 2+_1,ms
state in 94Mo. These assignments are derived from the observed M1 and E2
transition strengths to the symmetric one-phonon states, energy systematics,
spins and parities, and comparison with shell model calculations.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Formalism for obtaining nuclear momentum distributions by the Deep Inelastic Neutron Scattering technique
We present a new formalism to obtain momentum distributions in condensed
matter from Neutron Compton Profiles measured by the Deep Inelastic Neutron
Scattering technique. The formalism describes exactly the Neutron Compton
Profiles as an integral in the momentum variable . As a result we obtain a
Volterra equation of the first kind that relates the experimentally measured
magnitude with the momentum distributions of the nuclei in the sample. The
integration kernel is related with the incident neutron spectrum, the total
cross section of the filter analyzer and the detectors efficiency function. A
comparison of the present formalism with the customarily employed approximation
based on a convolution of the momentum distribution with a resolution function
is presented. We describe the inaccuracies that the use of this approximation
produces, and propose a new data treatment procedure based on the present
formalism.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure
Chandra Detection of the Forward and Reverse Shocks in Cassiopeia-A
We report the localization of the forward and reversed shock fronts in the
young supernova remnant Cas-A using X-ray data obtained with the Chandra
Observatory. High resolution X-ray maps resolve a previously unseen X-ray
feature encompassing the extremity of the remnant. This feature consists of
thin, tangential wisps of emission bordering the outer edge of the thermal
X-ray and radio remnant, forming a circular rim, approx. 2.7 in radius. Radio
images show a sharp rise in brightness at this X-ray rim, along with a large
jump in the synchrotron polarization angle. These characteristics suggest that
these wisps are the previously unresolved signature of the forward, or outer,
shock. Similarly, we identify the sharp rise in emissivity of the bright shell
for both the radio and X-ray line emission associated with the reverse shock.
The derived ratio of the averaged forward and reverse shock radii of approx.
3:2 constrains the remnant to have swept up roughly the same amount of mass as
was ejected; this suggests that Cas-A is just entering the Sedov phase.
Comparison of the X-ray spectra from the two shock regions shows that the
equivalent widths of prominent emission lines are significantly lower exterior
to the bright shell, as expected if they are respectively identified with the
shocked circumstellar material and shocked ejecta. Furthermore, the spectrum of
the outer rim itself is dominated by power-law emission, likely the counterpart
of the non-thermal component previously seen at energies above 10 keV.Comment: 7 pages with 5 figures, LaTex, emulateapj.sty. To appear in the
Astrophysical Journal Letter
No evidence for killer sperm or other selective interactions between human spermatozoa in ejaculates of different males in vitro
This study examines one of the possible mechanisms of sperm competition, i.e. the kamikaze sperm hypothesis. This hypothesis states that sperm from different males interact to incapacitate each other in a variety of ways. We used ejaculates from human donors to compare mixes of semen in vitro from the same or different males. We measured the following parameters: (i) the degree of sperm aggregation, velocity and proportion of morphologically normal sperm after 1 and 3 h incubation in undiluted semen samples, (ii) the proportion of viable sperm plus the same parameters as in (i) in 'swim-up' sperm suspensions after 1 and 3 h incubation, (iii) the degree of self and non-self sperm aggregation using fluorescent dyes to distinguish the sperm of different males, and (iv) the extent of sperm capacitation and acrosome-reacted sperm in mixtures of sperm from the same and different males. We observed very few significant changes in sperm aggregation or performance in mixtures of sperm from different males compared with mixtures from the same male and none that were consistent with previously reported findings. The incapacitation of rival sperm therefore seems an unlikely mechanism of sperm competition in humans
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