620 research outputs found
Deriving Basic Principles in Sustainable Management from Local Knowledge: Modelling Himba\u27s Grazing Regime (Namibia)
Picosecond timing of Microwave Cherenkov Impulses from High-Energy Particle Showers Using Dielectric-loaded Waveguides
We report on the first measurements of coherent microwave impulses from
high-energy particle-induced electromagnetic showers generated via the Askaryan
effect in a dielectric-loaded waveguide. Bunches of 12.16 GeV electrons with
total bunch energy of GeV were pre-showered in tungsten, and
then measured with WR-51 rectangular (12.6 mm by 6.3 mm) waveguide elements
loaded with solid alumina () bars. In the 5-8 GHz
single-mode band determined by the presence of the dielectric in the waveguide,
we observed band-limited microwave impulses with amplitude proportional to
bunch energy. Signals in different waveguide elements measuring the same shower
were used to estimate relative time differences with 2.3 picosecond precision.
These measurements establish a basis for using arrays of alumina-loaded
waveguide elements, with exceptional radiation hardness, as very high precision
timing planes for high-energy physics detectors.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figure
Development Toward a Ground-Based Interferometric Phased Array for Radio Detection of High Energy Neutrinos
The in-ice radio interferometric phased array technique for detection of high
energy neutrinos looks for Askaryan emission from neutrinos interacting in
large volumes of glacial ice, and is being developed as a way to achieve a low
energy threshold and a large effective volume at high energies. The technique
is based on coherently summing the impulsive Askaryan signal from multiple
antennas, which increases the signal-to-noise ratio for weak signals. We report
here on measurements and a simulation of thermal noise correlations between
nearby antennas, beamforming of impulsive signals, and a measurement of the
expected improvement in trigger efficiency through the phased array technique.
We also discuss the noise environment observed with an analog phased array at
Summit Station, Greenland, a possible site for an interferometric phased array
for radio detection of high energy neutrinos.Comment: 13 Pages, 14 Figure
Measurements and Modeling of Near-Surface Radio Propagation in Glacial Ice and Implications for Neutrino Experiments
We present measurements of radio transmission in the 100 MHz range
through a m deep region below the surface of the ice at Summit
Station, Greenland, called the firn. In the firn, the index of refraction
changes due to the transition from snow at the surface to glacial ice below,
affecting the propagation of radio signals in that region. We compare our
observations to a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) electromagnetic wave
simulation, which supports the existence of three classes of propagation: a
bulk propagation ray-bending mode that leads to so-called "shadowed" regions
for certain geometries of transmission, a surface-wave mode induced by the
ice/air interface, and an arbitrary-depth horizontal propagation mode that
requires perturbations from a smooth density gradient. In the non-shadowed
region, our measurements are consistent with the bulk propagation ray-bending
mode both in timing and in amplitude. We also observe signals in the shadowed
region, in conflict with a bulk-propagation-only ray-bending model, but
consistent with FDTD simulations using a variety of firn models for Summit
Station. The amplitude and timing of our measurements in all geometries are
consistent with the predictions from FDTD simulations. In the shadowed region,
the amplitude of the observed signals is consistent with a best-fit coupling
fraction value of % (0.06% in power) or less to a surface or horizontal
propagation mode from the bulk propagation mode. The relative amplitude of
observable signals in the two regions is important for experiments that aim to
detect radio emission from astrophysical high-energy neutrinos interacting in
glacial ice, which rely on a radio propagation model to inform simulations and
perform event reconstruction.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, version accepted to PR
Phase diagram and critical properties within an effective model of QCD: the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model coupled to the Polyakov loop
We investigate the phase diagram of the so-called
Polyakov--Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model at finite temperature and non-zero chemical
potential with three quark flavors. Chiral and deconfinement phase transitions
are discussed and the relevant order-like parameters are analyzed. The results
are compared with simple thermodynamic expectations and lattice data. We
present the phase diagram in the ( plane, paying special attention
to the critical end point: as the strength of the flavor-mixing interaction
becomes weaker, the critical end point moves to low temperatures and can even
disappear.Comment: 46 pages, 11 figures, 3 table
Debye screening in strongly coupled N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills plasma
Using the AdS/CFT correspondence, we examine the behavior of correlators of
Polyakov loops and other operators in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory at
non-zero temperature. The implications for Debye screening in this strongly
coupled non-Abelian plasma, and comparisons with available results for thermal
QCD, are discussed.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, significantly expanded discussion of Polyakov
loop correlator and static quark-antiquark potentia
The Impact of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) Coverage Heterogeneities on the Changing Epidemiology of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Switzerland, 2005–2019
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have lowered the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) worldwide. However, the influence of regional vaccine uptake differences on the changing epidemiology of IPD remains unclear. We aimed to examine the overall impact of both seven- and 13-valent PCVs (PCV7 and PCV13) on IPD in Switzerland. Three-year periods from 2005–2010 and 2011–2019 were considered, respectively, as (early and late) PCV7 eras and (early, mid and late) PCV13 eras. Vaccine coverage was estimated from a nationwide survey according to east (German-speaking) and west (French/Italian-speaking) regions for each period. Reported incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were compared between successive periods and regions using nationwide IPD surveillance data. Overall IPD incidence across all ages was only 16% lower in the late PCV13 era compared to the early PCV7 era (IRR 0.83, 95% CI 0.79–0.88), due to increasing incidence of non-PCV-type IPD (2.59, 2.37–2.83) in all age groups, except children <5 years. PCV uptake rates in swiss children were slightly higher in the west than the east (p < 0.001), and were accompanied by lower IPD incidences across all age groups in the former region. Post-PCV13, non-PCV serotypes 8, 22F and 9N were the major cause of IPD in adults ≥65 years. Increased PCV coverage in both areas of Switzerland resulted in a decrease in vaccine-type and overall IPD incidence across all age groups, in a regionally dependent manner. However, the rising incidence of non-vaccine-type IPD, exclusive to older adults, may undermine indirect beneficial effects
Accelerator measurements of magnetically-induced radio emission from particle cascades with applications to cosmic-ray air showers
For fifty years, cosmic-ray air showers have been detected by their radio
emission. We present the first laboratory measurements that validate
electrodynamics simulations used in air shower modeling. An experiment at SLAC
provides a beam test of radio-frequency (RF) radiation from charged particle
cascades in the presence of a magnetic field, a model system of a cosmic-ray
air shower. This experiment provides a suite of controlled laboratory
measurements to compare to particle-level simulations of RF emission, which are
relied upon in ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray air shower detection. We compare
simulations to data for intensity, linearity with magnetic field, angular
distribution, polarization, and spectral content. In particular, we confirm
modern predictions that the magnetically induced emission in a dielectric forms
a cone that peaks at the Cherenkov angle and show that the simulations
reproduce the data within systematic uncertainties.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figure
The bioavailability of oral GI147211 (GG211), a new topoisomerase I inhibitor.
Topoisomerase I inhibitors are new compounds of interest for cancer chemotherapy. We performed a study with GI147211, a new semisynthetic camptothecin analogue, to determine the absolute bioavailability of the drug given orally. Patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of a solid tumour refractory to standard forms of therapy were eligible for the study. GI147211 was given orally on day 1 and as a 30-min infusion daily on days 2-5. The treatment course was repeated every 3 weeks. In subsequent patient cohorts, the dose of the oral formulation was escalated from 1.5 mg m(-2) to 6.0 mg m(-2); the dose for i.v. administration was fixed at 1.2 mg m(-2). Plasma pharmacokinetics was performed on day 1 and 2 of the first course and on day 1 of the second course using a validated high-performance liquid chromatographic assay. Nineteen patients were entered into the study; one patient was not evaluable because the treatment course was stopped prematurely. Eighteen patients received a total of 47 treatment courses. The absolute bioavailability of GI147211 averaged 1.3 +/- 5.2%. Drug appeared quickly in plasma with a median Tmax at 0.5 h. Fasting or fed state had no significant influence on the bioavailability of GI147211. The terminal half-life after administration of oral GI147211 was 6.85 +/- 3.13 h, similar to the half-life after intravenous administration. The major toxicities were neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Nadirs for neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred on day 8 and day 15 respectively. Other toxicities predominantly consisted of mild and infrequent nausea and vomiting, and fatigue. The oral administration of the drug is well tolerated. Oral administration of topoisomerase I inhibitor GI147211 results in a low bioavailability with relatively wide interpatient variation. The intravenous route of administration is advised for further development of this promising topoisomerase I inhibitor
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