759 research outputs found
Particle Acceleration in Cosmic Sites - Astrophysics Issues in our Understanding of Cosmic Rays
Laboratory experiments to explore plasma conditions and stimulated particle
acceleration can illuminate aspects of the cosmic particle acceleration
process. Here we discuss the cosmic-ray candidate source object variety, and
what has been learned about their particle-acceleration characteristics. We
identify open issues as discussed among astrophysicists. -- The cosmic ray
differential intensity spectrum is a rather smooth power-law spectrum, with two
kinks at the "knee" (~10^15 eV) and at the "ankle" (~3 10^18 eV). It is unclear
if these kinks are related to boundaries between different dominating sources,
or rather related to characteristics of cosmic-ray propagation. We believe that
Galactic sources dominate up to 10^17 eV or even above, and the extragalactic
origin of cosmic rays at highest energies merges rather smoothly with Galactic
contributions throughout the 10^15--10^18 eV range. Pulsars and supernova
remnants are among the prime candidates for Galactic cosmic-ray production,
while nuclei of active galaxies are considered best candidates to produce
ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays of extragalactic origin. Acceleration processes
are related to shocks from violent ejections of matter from energetic sources
such as supernova explosions or matter accretion onto black holes. Details of
such acceleration are difficult, as relativistic particles modify the structure
of the shock, and simple approximations or perturbation calculations are
unsatisfactory. This is where laboratory plasma experiments are expected to
contribute, to enlighten the non-linear processes which occur under such
conditions.Comment: accepted for publication in EPJD, topical issue on Fundamental
physics and ultra-high laser fields. From review talk at "Extreme Light
Infrastructure" workshop, Sep 2008. Version-2 May 2009: adjust some wordings
and references at EPJD proofs stag
Spin relaxation: From 2D to 1D
In inversion asymmetric semiconductors, spin-orbit interactions give rise to
very effective relaxation mechanisms of the electron spin. Recent work, based
on the dimensionally constrained D'yakonov Perel' mechanism, describes
increasing electron-spin relaxation times for two-dimensional conducting layers
with decreasing channel width. The slow-down of the spin relaxation can be
understood as a precursor of the one-dimensional limit
A Bayesian view of the current status of dark matter direct searches
Bayesian statistical methods offer a simple and consistent framework for
incorporating uncertainties into a multi-parameter inference problem. In this
work we apply these methods to a selection of current direct dark matter
searches. We consider the simplest scenario of spin-independent elastic WIMP
scattering, and infer the WIMP mass and cross-section from the experimental
data with the essential systematic uncertainties folded into the analysis. We
find that when uncertainties in the scintillation efficiency of Xenon100 have
been accounted for, the resulting exclusion limit is not sufficiently
constraining to rule out the CoGeNT preferred parameter region, contrary to
previous claims. In the same vein, we also investigate the impact of
astrophysical uncertainties on the preferred WIMP parameters. We find that
within the class of smooth and isotropic WIMP velocity distributions, it is
difficult to reconcile the DAMA and the CoGeNT preferred regions by tweaking
the astrophysics parameters alone. If we demand compatibility between these
experiments, then the inference process naturally concludes that a high value
for the sodium quenching factor for DAMA is preferred.Comment: 37 pages, 14 figures and 7 tables. Replacement for matching the
version accepted for publicatio
Non-Markovian dynamics for an open two-level system without rotating wave approximation: Indivisibility versus backflow of information
By use of the two measures presented recently, the indivisibility and the
backflow of information, we study the non-Markovianity of the dynamics for a
two-level system interacting with a zero-temperature structured environment
without using rotating wave approximation (RWA). In the limit of weak coupling
between the system and the reservoir, and by expanding the time-convolutionless
(TCL) generator to the forth order with respect to the coupling strength, the
time-local non-Markovian master equation for the reduced state of the system is
derived. Under the secular approximation, the exact analytic solution is
obtained and the sufficient and necessary conditions for the indivisibility and
the backflow of information for the system dynamics are presented. In the more
general case, we investigate numerically the properties of the two measures for
the case of Lorentzian reservoir. Our results show the importance of the
counter-rotating terms to the short-time-scale non-Markovian behavior of the
system dynamics, further expose the relations between the two measures and
their rationality as non-Markovian measures. Finally, the complete positivity
of the dynamics of the considered system is discussed
Relation Between Chiral Susceptibility and Solutions of Gap Equation in Nambu--Jona-Lasinio Model
We study the solutions of the gap equation, the thermodynamic potential and
the chiral susceptibility in and beyond the chiral limit at finite chemical
potential in the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model. We give an explicit relation
between the chiral susceptibility and the thermodynamic potential in the NJL
model. We find that the chiral susceptibility is a quantity being able to
represent the furcation of the solutions of the gap equation and the
concavo-convexity of the thermodynamic potential in NJL model. It indicates
that the chiral susceptibility can identify the stable state and the
possibility of the chiral phase transition in NJL model.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, misprints are correcte
Probing exotic phenomena at the interface of nuclear and particle physics with the electric dipole moments of diamagnetic atoms: A unique window to hadronic and semi-leptonic CP violation
The current status of electric dipole moments of diamagnetic atoms which
involves the synergy between atomic experiments and three different theoretical
areas -- particle, nuclear and atomic is reviewed. Various models of particle
physics that predict CP violation, which is necessary for the existence of such
electric dipole moments, are presented. These include the standard model of
particle physics and various extensions of it. Effective hadron level combined
charge conjugation (C) and parity (P) symmetry violating interactions are
derived taking into consideration different ways in which a nucleon interacts
with other nucleons as well as with electrons. Nuclear structure calculations
of the CP-odd nuclear Schiff moment are discussed using the shell model and
other theoretical approaches. Results of the calculations of atomic electric
dipole moments due to the interaction of the nuclear Schiff moment with the
electrons and the P and time-reversal (T) symmetry violating
tensor-pseudotensor electron-nucleus are elucidated using different
relativistic many-body theories. The principles of the measurement of the
electric dipole moments of diamagnetic atoms are outlined. Upper limits for the
nuclear Schiff moment and tensor-pseudotensor coupling constant are obtained
combining the results of atomic experiments and relativistic many-body
theories. The coefficients for the different sources of CP violation have been
estimated at the elementary particle level for all the diamagnetic atoms of
current experimental interest and their implications for physics beyond the
standard model is discussed. Possible improvements of the current results of
the measurements as well as quantum chromodynamics, nuclear and atomic
calculations are suggested.Comment: 46 pages, 19 tables and 16 figures. A review article accepted for
EPJ
Quantum magnetism in two dimensions: From semi-classical N\'eel order to magnetic disorder
This is a review of ground-state features of the s=1/2 Heisenberg
antiferromagnet on two-dimensional lattices. A central issue is the interplay
of lattice topology (e.g. coordination number, non-equivalent nearest-neighbor
bonds, geometric frustration) and quantum fluctuations and their impact on
possible long-range order. This article presents a unified summary of all 11
two-dimensional uniform Archimedean lattices which include e.g. the square,
triangular and kagome lattice. We find that the ground state of the spin-1/2
Heisenberg antiferromagnet is likely to be semi-classically ordered in most
cases. However, the interplay of geometric frustration and quantum fluctuations
gives rise to a quantum paramagnetic ground state without semi-classical
long-range order on two lattices which are precisely those among the 11 uniform
Archimedean lattices with a highly degenerate ground state in the classical
limit. The first one is the famous kagome lattice where many low-lying singlet
excitations are known to arise in the spin gap. The second lattice is called
star lattice and has a clear gap to all excitations.
Modification of certain bonds leads to quantum phase transitions which are
also discussed briefly. Furthermore, we discuss the magnetization process of
the Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the 11 Archimedean lattices, focusing on
anomalies like plateaus and a magnetization jump just below the saturation
field. As an illustration we discuss the two-dimensional Shastry-Sutherland
model which is used to describe SrCu2(BO3)2.Comment: This is now the complete 72-page preprint version of the 2004 review
article. This version corrects two further typographic errors (three total
with respect to the published version), see page 2 for detail
Discovery of a novel inner membrane-associated bacterial structure related to the flagellar type III secretion system
Microbial Biotechnolog
The genome of cultivated peanut provides insight into legume karyotypes, polyploid evolution and crop domestication
High oil and protein content make tetraploid peanut a leading oil and food legume. Here we report a high-quality peanut genome sequence, comprising 2.54 Gb with 20 pseudomolecules and 83,709 protein-coding gene models. We characterize gene functional groups implicated in seed size evolution, seed oil content, disease resistance and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. The peanut B subgenome has more genes and general expression dominance, temporally associated with long-terminal-repeat expansion in the A subgenome that also raises questions about the A-genome progenitor. The polyploid genome provided insights into the evolution of Arachis hypogaea and other legume chromosomes. Resequencing of 52 accessions suggests that independent domestications formed peanut ecotypes. Whereas 0.42–0.47 million years ago (Ma) polyploidy constrained genetic variation, the peanut genome sequence aids mapping and candidate-gene discovery for traits such as seed size and color, foliar disease resistance and others, also providing a cornerstone for functional genomics and peanut improvement
A measurement of the tau mass and the first CPT test with tau leptons
We measure the mass of the tau lepton to be 1775.1+-1.6(stat)+-1.0(syst.) MeV
using tau pairs from Z0 decays. To test CPT invariance we compare the masses of
the positively and negatively charged tau leptons. The relative mass difference
is found to be smaller than 3.0 10^-3 at the 90% confidence level.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, Submitted to Phys. Letts.
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