Predicting Neutron Production from Cosmic-ray Muons

Fast neutrons from cosmic-ray muons are an important background to underground low energy experiments. The estimate of such background is often hampered by the difficulty of measuring and calculating neutron production with sufficient accuracy. Indeed substantial disagreement exists between the different analytical calculations performed so far, while data reported by different experiments is not always consistent. We discuss a new unified approach to estimate the neutron yield, the energy spectrum, the multiplicity and the angular distribution from cosmic muons using the Monte Carlo simulation package FLUKA and show that it gives a good description of most of the existing measurements once the appropriate corrections have been applied.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Photon and Z induced heavy charged lepton pair production at a hadron supercollider

We investigate the pair production of charged heavy leptons via photon-induced processes at the proposed CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Using effective photon and Z approximations, rates are given for $L^+L^-$ production due to $\gamma \gamma$ fusion and $Z \gamma$ fusion for the cases of inelastic, elastic and semi-elastic $pp$ collisions. These are compared with the corresponding rates for production via the gluon fusion and Drell-Yan mechanisms. Various $\gamma \gamma$ and $Z \gamma$ differential luminosities for $pp$ collisions are also presented.Comment: 22 pages, RevTex 3.0, 6 uuencoded and compressed postscript figures included. Reference to one paper changed from the original preprint number to the published version. Everything else unchange

Stochastic motion of test particle implies that G varies with time

The aim of this letter is to propose a new description to the time varying gravitational constant problem, which naturally implements the Dirac's large numbers hypothesis in a new proposed holographic scenario for the origin of gravity as an entropic force. We survey the effect of the Stochastic motion of the test particle in Verlinde's scenario for gravity\cite{Verlinde}. Firstly we show that we must get the equipartition values for $t\rightarrow\infty$ which leads to the usual Newtonian gravitational constant. Secondly,the stochastic (Brownian) essence of the motion of the test particle, modifies the Newton's 2'nd law. The direct result is that the Newtonian constant has been time dependence in resemblance as \cite{Running}.Comment: Accepted in International Journal of Theoretical Physic

Hadronic Cross-sections in two photon Processes at a Future Linear Collider

In this note we address the issue of measurability of the hadronic cross-sections at a future photon collider as well as for the two-photon processes at a future high energy linear $e^+e^-$ collider. We extend, to higher energy, our previous estimates of the accuracy with which the \gamgam\ cross-section needs to be measured, in order to distinguish between different theoretical models of energy dependence of the total cross-sections. We show that the necessary precision to discriminate among these models is indeed possible at future linear colliders in the Photon Collider option. Further we note that even in the $e^+e^-$ option a measurement of the hadron production cross-section via \gamgam processes, with an accuracy necessary to allow discrimination between different theoretical models, should be possible. We also comment briefly on the implications of these predictions for hadronic backgrounds at the future TeV energy $e^+e^-$ collider CLIC.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX. Added an acknowledgemen

Close-Packing of Clusters: Application to Al_100

The lowest energy configurations of close-packed clusters up to N=110 atoms with stacking faults are studied using the Monte Carlo method with Metropolis algorithm. Two types of contact interactions, a pair-potential and a many-atom interaction, are used. Enhanced stability is shown for N=12, 26, 38, 50, 59, 61, 68, 75, 79, 86, 100 and 102, of which only the sizes 38, 75, 79, 86, and 102 are pure FCC clusters, the others having stacking faults. A connection between the model potential and density functional calculations is studied in the case of Al_100. The density functional calculations are consistent with the experimental fact that there exist epitaxially grown FCC clusters starting from relatively small cluster sizes. Calculations also show that several other close-packed motifs existwith comparable total energies.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Diffractive Photoproduction of Jets with a Direct Pomeron Coupling at HERA

We investigate in detail the effect of a direct pomeron coupling to quarks on the production of jets in $ep$ scattering with almost real photons. Jet production via a direct pomeron coupling is compared with the resolved--pomeron mechanism. We consider both direct and resolved photoproduction. Rapidity and transverse momentum distributions are calculated and compared with preliminary H1 and ZEUS data.Comment: 21 pages, Latex file, 7 figures (uuencoded) enclosed, Preprint DESY 94-140, KEK-TH-407 and KEK Preprint 94-7

Turbulent Control of the Star Formation Efficiency

Supersonic turbulence plays a dual role in molecular clouds: On one hand, it contributes to the global support of the clouds, while on the other it promotes the formation of small-scale density fluctuations, identifiable with clumps and cores. Within these, the local Jeans length \Ljc is reduced, and collapse ensues if \Ljc becomes smaller than the clump size and the magnetic support is insufficient (i.e., the core is ``magnetically supercritical''); otherwise, the clumps do not collapse and are expected to re-expand and disperse on a few free-fall times. This case may correspond to a fraction of the observed starless cores. The star formation efficiency (SFE, the fraction of the cloud's mass that ends up in collapsed objects) is smaller than unity because the mass contained in collapsing clumps is smaller than the total cloud mass. However, in non-magnetic numerical simulations with realistic Mach numbers and turbulence driving scales, the SFE is still larger than observational estimates. The presence of a magnetic field, even if magnetically supercritical, appears to further reduce the SFE, but by reducing the probability of core formation rather than by delaying the collapse of individual cores, as was formerly thought. Precise quantification of these effects as a function of global cloud parameters is still needed.Comment: Invited review for the conference "IMF@50: the Initial Mass Function 50 Years Later", to be published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, eds. E. Corbelli, F. Palla, and H. Zinnecke

Aspects of Two-Photon Physics at Linear e+e- Colliders

We discuss various reactions at future e+e- and gamma-gamma colliders involving real (beamstrahlung or backscattered laser) or quasi--real (bremsstrahlung) photons in the initial state and hadrons in the final state. The production of two central jets with large pT is described in some detail; we give distributions for the rapidity and pT of the jets as well as the di--jet invariant mass, and discuss the relative importance of various initial state configurations and the uncertainties in our predictions. We also present results for `mono--jet' production where one jet goes down a beam pipe, for the production of charm, bottom and top quarks, and for single production of W and Z bosons. Where appropriate, the two--photon processes are compared with annihilation reactions leading to similar final states. We also argue that the behaviour of the total inelastic gamma-gamma cross section at high energies will probably have little impact on the severity of background problems caused by soft and semi--hard (`minijet') two--photon reactions. We find very large differences in cross sections for all two--photon processes between existing designs for future e+e- colliders, due to the different beamstrahlung spectra; in particular, both designs with >1 events per bunch crossing exist.Comment: 51 pages, 13 figures(not included

Stellar structure and compact objects before 1940: Towards relativistic astrophysics

Since the mid-1920s, different strands of research used stars as "physics laboratories" for investigating the nature of matter under extreme densities and pressures, impossible to realize on Earth. To trace this process this paper is following the evolution of the concept of a dense core in stars, which was important both for an understanding of stellar evolution and as a testing ground for the fast-evolving field of nuclear physics. In spite of the divide between physicists and astrophysicists, some key actors working in the cross-fertilized soil of overlapping but different scientific cultures formulated models and tentative theories that gradually evolved into more realistic and structured astrophysical objects. These investigations culminated in the first contact with general relativity in 1939, when J. Robert Oppenheimer and his students George Volkoff and Hartland Snyder systematically applied the theory to the dense core of a collapsing neutron star. This pioneering application of Einstein's theory to an astrophysical compact object can be regarded as a milestone in the path eventually leading to the emergence of relativistic astrophysics in the early 1960s.Comment: 83 pages, 4 figures, submitted to the European Physical Journal

Physical Processes in Star Formation

© 2020 Springer-Verlag. The final publication is available at Springer via https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00693-8.Star formation is a complex multi-scale phenomenon that is of significant importance for astrophysics in general. Stars and star formation are key pillars in observational astronomy from local star forming regions in the Milky Way up to high-redshift galaxies. From a theoretical perspective, star formation and feedback processes (radiation, winds, and supernovae) play a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of the physical processes at work, both individually and of their interactions. In this review we will give an overview of the main processes that are important for the understanding of star formation. We start with an observationally motivated view on star formation from a global perspective and outline the general paradigm of the life-cycle of molecular clouds, in which star formation is the key process to close the cycle. After that we focus on the thermal and chemical aspects in star forming regions, discuss turbulence and magnetic fields as well as gravitational forces. Finally, we review the most important stellar feedback mechanisms.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio