On the basic mechanism of Pixelized Photon Detectors

A Pixelized Photon Detector (PPD) is a generic name for the semiconductor devices operated in the Geiger-mode, such as Silicon PhotoMultiplier and Multi-Pixel Photon Counter, which has high photon counting capability. While the internal mechanisms of the PPD have been intensively studied in recent years, the existing models do not include the avalanche process. We have simulated the multiplication and quenching of the avalanche process and have succeeded in reproducing the output waveform of the PPD. Furthermore our model predicts the existence of dead-time in the PPD which has never been numerically predicted. For serching the dead-time, we also have developed waveform analysis method using deconvolution which has the potential to distinguish neibouring pulses precisely. In this paper, we discuss our improved model and waveform analysis method.Comment: 4pages, 5figures, To appear in the proceedings of 5th International Conference on New Developments in Photodetection (NDIP08), Aix-les-Bains, France, 15-20 Jun 200

An autocrine role for pituitary GABA: Activation of GABA-B receptors and regulation of growth hormone levels

There is increasing evidence suggesting that the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a local factor involved in the regulation of endocrine organs. Examples of such functions are documented in the pancreas, but recent results suggest that GABA may act in a similar way in the pituitary, in which GABA receptors are expressed and pituitary growth hormone (GH) cells provide a source of GABA. We hypothesised that GABA secreted in somatotropes may act as an autoregulatory signaling molecule. To test this hypothesis we first examined the nature of GABA receptors expressed by GH cells. RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that GABA-B receptor subunits R1 and R2 are present in the whole rat pituitary. Laser microdissection of immunostained GH cells, followed by RT-PCR as well as immunoelectron microscopy, showed that GABA-B receptors are expressed on somatotropes. To investigate GABA-B receptor function in somatotropes, we used rat GH3 adenoma cells, which, like pituitary GH cells, express GABA-B R1 and R2 (as assessed by RT-PCR and immunoelectron microscopy) and produce GABA (checked by high performance liquid chromatography). After inhibition of endogenous GABA synthesis, GH production was stimulated by baclofen, a chromatography). After inhibition of endogenous GABA synthesis, GH production was stimulated by bactofen, a GABA-B receptor agonist. By contrast, blocking GABA-B receptors by an antagonist, phaclofen, decreased GH levels. We conclude that in GH-producing cells, GABA acts as an autocrine factor via GABA-B receptors to control GH levels. Copyright (C) 2002 S. KargerAG, Basel

Melnikov theory to all orders and Puiseux series for subharmonic solutions

We study the problem of subharmonic bifurcations for analytic systems in the plane with perturbations depending periodically on time, in the case in which we only assume that the subharmonic Melnikov function has at least one zero. If the order of zero is odd, then there is always at least one subharmonic solution, whereas if the order is even in general other conditions have to be assumed to guarantee the existence of subharmonic solutions. Even when such solutions exist, in general they are not analytic in the perturbation parameter. We show that they are analytic in a fractional power of the perturbation parameter. To obtain a fully constructive algorithm which allows us not only to prove existence but also to obtain bounds on the radius of analyticity and to approximate the solutions within any fixed accuracy, we need further assumptions. The method we use to construct the solution -- when this is possible -- is based on a combination of the Newton-Puiseux algorithm and the tree formalism. This leads to a graphical representation of the solution in terms of diagrams. Finally, if the subharmonic Melnikov function is identically zero, we show that it is possible to introduce higher order generalisations, for which the same kind of analysis can be carried out.Comment: 30 pages, 6 figure

The Carina dSph galaxy: where is the edge?

Recent cosmological N-body simulations suggest that current empirical estimates of tidal radii in dSphs might be underestimated by at least one order of magnitude. To constrain the plausibility of this theoretical framework, we undertook a multiband (U,B,V,I) survey of the Carina dSph. Deep B,V data of several fields located at radial distances from the Carina center ranging from 0.5 to 4.5 degrees show a sizable sample of faint blue objects with the same magnitudes and colors of old, Turn-Off stars detected across the center. We found that the (U-V,B-I) color-color plane is a robust diagnostic to split stars from background galaxies. Unfortunately, current U,I-band data are too shallow to firmly constrain the real extent of Carina.Comment: To be published on the proceedings of the XLIX meeting of the Italian Astronomical Society. Requires mem.cl

Studies on multiplication effect of noises of PPDs, and a proposal of a new structure to improve the performance

Pixelated Photon Detectors (PPDs) are the most promising semiconductor photodetectors in recent years. One of the issues with the PPD is its high noise rate. As well as random noise, PPD also exhibits so called after-pulsing and optical crosstalk, and these limit the applicable range of its gain as well as its size. By accurately measuring each of these causes of noises independently, we quantitatively evaluated how the performance of the present device is limited by multiplication effect of these noises. With this result and the pulsing mechanism of PPD, we propose a new structure of PPD which could have high gain with low noise.Comment: Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research,