1,432 research outputs found
CP Violation from 5-dimensional QED
It has been shown that QED in (1+4)-dimensional space-time, with the fifth
dimension compactified on a circle, leads to CP violation (CPV). Depending on
fermionic boundary conditions, CPV may be either explicit (through the
Scherk--Schwarz mechanism), or spontaneous (via the Hosotani mechanism). The
fifth component of the gauge field acquires (at the one-loop level) a non-zero
vacuum expectation value. In the presence of two fermionic fields, this leads
to spontaneous CPV in the case of CP-symmetric boundary conditions.
Phenomenological consequences are illustrated by a calculation of the electric
dipole moment for the fermionic zero-modes.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figure
Rigorous theory of nuclear fusion rates in a plasma
Real-time thermal field theory is used to reveal the structure of plasma
corrections to nuclear reactions. Previous results are recovered in a fashion
that clarifies their nature, and new extensions are made. Brown and Yaffe have
introduced the methods of effective quantum field theory into plasma physics.
They are used here to treat the interesting limiting case of dilute but very
highly charged particles reacting in a dilute, one-component plasma. The highly
charged particles are very strongly coupled to this background plasma. The
effective field theory proves that this mean field solution plus the one-loop
term dominate; higher loop corrections are negligible even though the problem
involves strong coupling. Such analytic results for very strong coupling are
rarely available, and they can serve as benchmarks for testing computer models.Comment: 4 pages and 2 figures, presented at SCCS 2005, June 20-25, Moscow,
Russi
Programmable viscoelastic matrices from artificial proteins
Extracellular matrix compliance influences cellular adhesion and migration, proliferation and apoptosis,
and differentiation. Much of our current knowledge of the effects of substrate stiffness on cellular behavior is based on elastic substrates, in particular crossâlinked polyacrylamide hydrogels. Biological tissues, however, are viscoelastic and exhibit stress relaxation and energy dissipation on physiologically relevant timescales. While emerging evidence suggests that these physical properties also influence cellular behavior, materials in which viscoelasticity can be precisely engineered are currently lacking. Here, we describe programmable hydrogel matrices assembled from artificial recombinant proteins designed to be crossâlinked by covalent bonds involving cysteine residues, by association of helical domains as coiled coils, or by both mechanisms. Using these proteins, we construct chemical, physical, and chemicalâphysical hydrogel networks that deform elastically or viscoelastically depending on the type of crossâlinking (Dooling et al., Adv. Mater., 2016, 28, 4651â4657). In viscoelastic networks, the amount of stress relaxation is tuned by controlling the ratio of physical crossâlinking to chemical crosslinking, and the timescale for stress relaxation is tuned over five orders of magnitude by single point mutations to the coiledâcoil physical crossâlinking domain (Dooling and Tirrell, ACS Cent. Sci., 2016, 2,
812â819). The genetic engineering approach also allows biological activity to be encoded directly within
the protein sequence in the form of cellâadhesive domains and proteolytic cleavage sites. The capacity to program the viscoelasticity and biological activity of hydrogel matrices is anticipated to have applications in studying and engineering cellâmatrix interactions
Multilayer Insulation Material Guidelines
Multilayer Insulation Material Guidelines provides data on multilayer insulation materials used by previous spacecraft such as Spacelab and the Long-Duration Exposure Facility and outlines other concerns. The data presented in the document are presented for information only. They can be used as guidelines for multilayer insulation design for future spacecraft provided the thermal requirements of each new design and the environmental effects on these materials are taken into account
Material Selection Guidelines to Limit Atomic Oxygen Effects on Spacecraft Surfaces
This report provides guidelines in selecting materials for satellites and space platforms, designed to operate within the Low-Earth orbit environment, which limit the effects of atomic oxygen interactions with spacecraft surfaces. This document should be treated as an introduction rather than a comprehensive guide since analytical and flight technologies continue to evolve, flight experiments are conducted as primary or piggyback opportunities arise, and our understanding of materials interactions and protection methods grows. The reader is urged to consult recent literature and current web sites containing information about research and flight results
LDEF materials results for spacecraft applications: Executive summary
To address the challenges of space environmental effects, NASA designed the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) for an 18-month mission to expose thousands of samples of candidate materials that might be used on a space station or other orbital spacecraft. LDEF was launched in April 1984 and was to have been returned to Earth in 1985. Changes in mission schedules postponed retrieval until January 1990, after 69 months in orbit. Analyses of the samples recovered from LDEF have provided spacecraft designers and managers with the most extensive data base on space materials phenomena. Many LDEF samples were greatly changed by extended space exposure. Among even the most radially altered samples, NASA and its science teams are finding a wealth of surprising conclusions and tantalizing clues about the effects of space on materials. Many were discussed at the first two LDEF results conferences and subsequent professional papers. The LDEF Materials Results for Spacecraft Applications Conference was convened in Huntsville to discuss implications for spacecraft design. Already, paint and thermal blanket selections for space station and other spacecraft have been affected by LDEF data. This volume synopsizes those results
Auditory brainstem responses in the Eastern Screech Owl: An estimate of auditory thresholds
The auditory brainstem response (ABR), a measure of neural synchrony, was used to estimate auditory sensitivity in the eastern screech owl (Megascops asio). The typical screech owl ABR waveform showed two to three prominent peaks occurring within 5 ms of stimulus onset. As sound pressure levels increased, the ABR peak amplitude increased and latency decreased. With an increasing stimulus presentation rate, ABR peak amplitude decreased and latency increased. Generally, changes in the ABR waveform to stimulus intensity and repetition rate are consistent with the pattern found in several avian families. The ABR audiogram shows that screech owls hear best between 1.5 and 6.4 kHz with the most acute sensitivity between 4â5.7 kHz. The shape of the average screech owl ABR audiogram is similar to the shape of the behaviorally measured audiogram of the barn owl, except at the highest frequencies. Our data also show differences in overall auditory sensitivity between the color morphs of screech owls
- âŠ