1,315 research outputs found
Switching of +/-360deg domain wall states in a nanoring by an azimuthal Oersted field
We demonstrate magnetic switching between two domain wall vortex
states in cobalt nanorings, which are candidate magnetic states for robust and
low power MRAM devices. These domain wall (DW) or "twisted onion"
states can have clockwise or counterclockwise circulation, the two states for
data storage. Reliable switching between the states is necessary for any
realistic device. We accomplish this switching by applying a circular Oersted
field created by passing current through a metal atomic force microscope tip
placed at the center of the ring. After initializing in an onion state, we
rotate the DWs to one side of the ring by passing a current through the center,
and can switch between the two twisted states by reversing the current, causing
the DWs to split and meet again on the opposite side of the ring. A larger
current will annihilate the DWs and create a perfect vortex state in the rings.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
The Indoor Radon Concentration within the Tunnels of the Cholula Pyramid Through a Nuclear Tracks Methodology
Global organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States (US-EPA) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) recognize that radon gas as one of the main contributors to environmental radiation exposure for humans. Accordingly, a study and analysis of the indoors radon concentrate in the Cholula Pyramid contributes to understand the Radon dynamic inside of the Pyramid tunnels and to evaluate the radiological health risk to visitors, archaeologists, anthropologists and persons who spend extended periods inside the Pyramid. In this paper, the radon measurements along the Pyramid tunnels are presented. The Nuclear Track Methodology (NTM) was chosen for the measurements, using a close end-cup device developed at the Dosimetry Application Project (DAP) of the Physics Institute UNAM, following very well established protocols for the chemical etching and reading with the Counting Analysis Digital Imaging System (CADIS). The Cholula Pyramid consists of eight stages of constructions, each built in different periods of time. Cholula Pyramid is recognized as the pyramid with the largest base in the World, with 400 meters per side and 65 meters high. The tunnels of the pyramid were built in 1931 by architect Ignacio Marquina, with the aim of exploring and studying the structure. The results show an important indoor radon concentration in the measured tunnels, several times higher than levels recommended by United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA). The recommendation will be to mitigate the radon concentration levels, in order to avoid unnecessary exposition to the people
Quantitative Assessment of Cancer Vascular Architecture by Skeletonization of High-resolution 3-D Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound Images: Role of Liposomes and Microbubbles.
The accurate characterization and description of the vascular network of a cancer lesion is of paramount importance in clinical practice and cancer research in order to improve diagnostic accuracy or to assess the effectiveness of a treatment. The aim of this study was to show the effectiveness of liposomes as an ultrasound contrast agent to describe the 3-D vascular architecture of a tumor. Eight C57BL/6 mice grafted with syngeneic B16-F10 murine melanoma cells were injected with a bolus of 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocoline (DSPC)-based non-targeted liposomes and with a bolus of microbubbles. 3-D contrast-enhanced images of the tumor lesions were acquired in three conditions: pre-contrast, after the injection of micro bubbles, and after the injection of liposomes. By using a previously developed reconstruction and characterization image processing technique, we obtained the 3-D representation of the vascular architecture in these three conditions. Six descriptive parameters of these networks were also computed: the number of vascular trees (NT), the vascular density (VD), the number of branches, the 2-D curvature measure, the number of vascular flexes of the vessels, and the 3-D curvature. Results showed that all the vascular descriptors obtained by liposome-based images were statistically equal to those obtained by using microbubbles, except the VD which was found to be lower for liposome images. All the six descriptors computed in pre-contrast conditions had values that were statistically lower than those computed in presence of contrast, both for liposomes and microbubbles.
Liposomes have already been used in cancer therapy for the selective ultrasound-mediated delivery of drugs. This work demonstrated their effectiveness also as vascular diagnostic contrast agents, therefore proving that liposomes can be used as efficient “theranostic” (i.e. therapeutic 1 diagnostic) ultrasound probes
Analysis and characterization of neutron scattering of a Linear Accelerator (LINAC) on medical applications.
In several theoretical and experimental studies, the topic of the undesirable generation of photoneutrons in rooms where a linear accelerator (LINAC) operates has been discussed. When energies above 10 MeV are used to produce X-rays and give radiotherapy treatment to patients resulting in additional radiation to patients. Accordingly, an analysis and characterization of the neutron scattering distribution on different zones in a treatment room contributes to evaluate the radiological health risk to patients, technical and other workers involved in treatment. For the evaluation, a device developed at the PAD-IFUNAM formed by a CR-39 detector enclosed by two 3mm thick acrylic plates was employed. To avoid environmental contamination, the CR-39 and the acrylics plates are enclosed in a round plastic box. Sixteen of these devices were settled in different places inside the treatment room, where a linear accelerator is used. The results show a significant concentration of neutron scattering in areas near the head of irradiation. The recommendation will be to evaluate the neutron scattering concentration in all rooms that’s operates a LINAC in order to verify the radiological health risk and to mitigate the neutron scattering when concentration levels are to high like those in our case, in order to avoid unnecessary exposition to patients and personnel in general
Mild Regiospecific Synthesis of 1-Alkoxy-isochromenes Catalysed by Well-Defined [Silver(I)(Pc-L)] Complexes
The synthesis of 3-substituted-1-alkoxyisochromenes starting from 2-alkynylbenzaldehydes and different alcohols is reported. The reaction is catalysed by a silver(I)complex with an original macrocyclic pyridine-containing ligand (Pc-L). The approach is characterised by absolute regioselectivity, mild reaction conditions, good to excellent reaction yields, cleanness of the reaction and reduced purification steps. The reaction mechanism is investigated by in-depth 1H NMR experiments and an aimed \u201ctrapping\u201d experiment
Sheath parameters for non-Debye plasmas: simulations and arc damage
This paper describes the surface environment of the dense plasma arcs that
damage rf accelerators, tokamaks and other high gradient structures. We
simulate the dense, non-ideal plasma sheath near a metallic surface using
Molecular Dynamics (MD) to evaluate sheaths in the non-Debye region for high
density, low temperature plasmas. We use direct two-component MD simulations
where the interactions between all electrons and ions are computed explicitly.
We find that the non-Debye sheath can be extrapolated from the Debye sheath
parameters with small corrections. We find that these parameters are roughly
consistent with previous PIC code estimates, pointing to densities in the range
. The high surface fields implied by these
results could produce field emission that would short the sheath and cause an
instability in the time evolution of the arc, and this mechanism could limit
the maximum density and surface field in the arc. These results also provide a
way of understanding how the "burn voltage" of an arc is generated, and the
relation between self sputtering and the burn voltage, while not well
understood, seems to be closely correlated. Using these results, and equating
surface tension and plasma pressure, it is possible to infer a range of plasma
densities and sheath potentials from SEM images of arc damage. We find that the
high density plasma these results imply and the level of plasma pressure they
would produce is consistent with arc damage on a scale 100 nm or less, in
examples where the liquid metal would cool before this structure would be lost.
We find that the sub-micron component of arc damage, the burn voltage, and
fluctuations in the visible light production of arcs may be the most direct
indicators of the parameters of the dense plasma arc, and the most useful
diagnostics of the mechanisms limiting gradients in accelerators.Comment: 8 pages, 16 figure
Models of Dynamical Supersymmetry Breaking with Gauged Symmetry
We present simple models of dynamical supersymmetry breaking with gauged
U(1)_R symmetry. The minimal supersymmetric standard model and supersymmetric
SU(5) GUT are considered as the visible sector. The anomaly cancellation
conditions for U(1)_R are investigated in detail and simple solutions of the
R-charge assignments are found. We show that this scenario of dynamical
supersymmetry breaking is phenomenologically viable with the gravitino mass of
order 1 TeV or 10 TeV.Comment: 15 pages, uses REVTEX macro, No figure
Minimal Gaugino Mediation
We propose Minimal Gaugino Mediation as the simplest known solution to the
supersymmetric flavor and CP problems. The framework predicts a very minimal
structure for the soft parameters at ultra-high energies: gaugino masses are
unified and non-vanishing whereas all other soft supersymmetry breaking
parameters vanish. We show that this boundary condition naturally arises from a
small extra dimension and present a complete model which includes a new
extra-dimensional solution to the mu problem. We briefly discuss the predicted
superpartner spectrum as a function of the two parameters of the model. The
commonly ignored renormalization group evolution above the GUT scale is crucial
to the viability of Minimal Gaugino Mediation but does not introduce new model
dependence.Comment: LaTeX, 16 pages, 4 figures, running of the bottom and tau Yukawas
included, plots revise
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