Vibrating Wire for Beam Profile Scanning

The method for measurement of transverse profile (emittance) of the bunch by detecting of radiation arising scattering at of the bunch on the scanning wire is wide-spread. In this work the information about scattering bunch is proposed to measure using the oscillation frequency of the tightened scanning wire. In such way the system of radiation (or secondary particles) extraction and measurement can be removed. Dependence of oscillations frequency on beam scattering is determined by several factors, including changes of wire tension caused by transverse force of the beam, influence of beam self field. Preliminary calculations show that influence caused by wire heating will dominate. We have studied strain gauges on the basis of vibrating wire from various materials (tungsten, beryl bronze, niobium zirconium alloys). A scheme of self oscillations generation by alternating current in autogeneration circuit with automatic frequency adjustment was selected. Special method of wire fixation and elimination of transverse degrees of freedom allow to achieve relative stability better than 1E-5 during several days. For a tungsten wire with a fixed end dependence of frequency on temperature was 1E-5/K. Experimental results and estimates of wire heating of existing scanners show, that the wire heats up to a few hundred grades, which is enough for measurements

Interpretation of y-scaling of the nuclear response

The behavior of the nuclear matter response in the region of large momentum transfer, in which plane wave impulse approximation predicts the onset of y-scaling, is discussed. The theoretical analysis shows that scaling violations produced by final state interactions are driven by the momentum dependence of the nucleon-nucleon scattering cross section. Their study may provide valuable information on possible modifications of nucleon-nucleon scattering in the nuclear medium.Comment: 4 pages with 3 figures. To appear in Physical Review Letter

Performance and Consistency of Indicator Groups in Two Biodiversity Hotspots

In a world limited by data availability and limited funds for conservation, scientists and practitioners must use indicator groups to define spatial conservation priorities. Several studies have evaluated the effectiveness of indicator groups, but still little is known about the consistency in performance of these groups in different regions, which would allow their a priori selection.We systematically examined the effectiveness and the consistency of nine indicator groups in representing mammal species in two top-ranked Biodiversity Hotspots (BH): the Brazilian Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest. To test for group effectiveness we first found the best sets of sites able to maximize the representation of each indicator group in the BH and then calculated the average representation of different target species by the indicator groups in the BH. We considered consistent indicator groups whose representation of target species was not statistically different between BH. We called effective those groups that outperformed the target-species representation achieved by random sets of species. Effective indicator groups required the selection of less than 2% of the BH area for representing target species. Restricted-range species were the most effective indicators for the representation of all mammal diversity as well as target species. It was also the only group with high consistency.We show that several indicator groups could be applied as shortcuts for representing mammal species in the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest to develop conservation plans, however, only restricted-range species consistently held as the most effective indicator group for such a task. This group is of particular importance in conservation planning as it captures high diversity of endemic and endangered species

Impending extinction crisis of the world’s primates: Why primates matter

Non-human primates, our closest biological relatives, play important roles in the livelihoods, cultures and religions of many societies, and offer unique insights into human evolution, biology, behavior and the threat of emerging diseases. They are an essential component of tropical biodiversity, contributing to forest regeneration and ecosystem health. The most recent compilation of primate taxonomy lists 504 species, 197 subspecies and 79 genera distributed in the Neotropics, mainland Africa, Madagascar and Asia. Alarmingly, ~60% of primate species are now threatened with extinction as a result of unsustainable human activities, including illegal hunting and those resulting in extensive land-cover changes: industry driven agricultural production, deforestation, livestock and cattle ranching, oil and gas drilling, mining, dam building, climate change, and poor governance. Although drivers of primate decline vary by region, it is clear that decreasing the per capita demand of industrialized nations, lowering human birth rates and population growth, improving health, reducing poverty and gender biases in education, developing sustainable land-use initiatives, and preserving traditional livelihoods in primate range countries are all part of a comprehensive solution. Despite the existing threats to primate survival, we are adamant that primate conservation is not yet a lost cause. We still have the opportunity to reduce the human impact to primates and their habitats, but that demands raising greater local, regional and global public awareness of the plight of the world’s primates and the costs of their loss to ecosystem health, human culture and ultimately human survival

Vibrating wire scanner: First experimental results on the injector beam of the Yerevan synchrotron

This paper presents the first experimental results of the transverse profile measurements using a vibrating wire scanner at the Yerevan synchrotron injector electron beam (6 nA after collimation). The advantage of this novel technique is that there is no need for secondary radiation or particle detectors. The local beam intensity is measured using the natural oscillation frequency of the wire, which is a function of the wire temperature