Analysis of longitudinal bunching inan FEL driven two-beam accelerator

Recent experiments [1] have explored the use of a free-electron laser (FEL) as a buncher for a microwave two-beam accelerator, and the subsequent driving of a standing-wave rf output cavity. Here we present a deeper analysis of the longitudinal dynamics of the electron bunches as they are transported from the end of the FEL and through the output cavity. In particular, we examine the effect of the transport region and cavity aperture to filter the bunched portion of the beam. [1] T. Lefevre, et. al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84 (2000), 1188.Comment: 3 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to XX Int'l LINAC Conferenc

On the variability of Gulf Stream transport from seasonal to decadal timescales

Given the Gulf Stream\u27s central role in the North Atlantic\u27s wind-driven and meridional overturning circulation (MOC), there is considerable interest in measuring mass and heat flux to sufficient accuracy that their variability can be quantified with some degree of confidence. Here we combine high-resolution direct measurements of upper ocean transport from the last 17 years of Oleander ADCP data with previously published estimates of baroclinic transport to examine Gulf Stream transport variability over the last 80 years just downstream of where the current separates from the U.S. east coast.By far the greatest source of variability occurs on short time scales related to the meandering of the current and energetic eddy field to either side such that the inherent uncertainty of a single transport estimate is ∼15% with respect to an annual mean. The annual cycle of layer transport at 55-m depth has a maximum increase of 4.3% of the mean in September while the annual cycle at 205 m reaches a maximum of only 1.5% in July. A running low-pass filter indicates transport variations of only a few percent of the mean on inter-annual and longer time scales although swings as large as 10–12% over a few years can occur. The length of the time series now reveals a significant correlation between the NAO index and near-surface transport in the Gulf Stream. No significant trend in transport can be detected from either the last 17 years of directly measured surface currents, or from hydrographic sections starting in the 1930\u27s. It follows therefore that the upper branch of the MOC, the other major component of Gulf Stream transport at the Oleander line, must have been quite stable over the last 80 years

Transverse momentum dependence of the angular distribution of the Drell-Yan process

We calculate the transverse momentum Q_{\perp} dependence of the helicity structure functions for the hadroproduction of a massive pair of leptons with pair invariant mass Q. These structure functions determine the angular distribution of the leptons in the pair rest frame. Unphysical behavior in the region Q_{\perp} --> 0 is seen in the results of calculations done at fixed-order in QCD perturbation theory. We use current conservation to demonstrate that the unphysical inverse-power and \ln(Q/Q_{\perp}) logarithmic divergences in three of the four independent helicity structure functions share the same origin as the divergent terms in fixed-order calculations of the angular-integrated cross section. We show that the resummation of these divergences to all orders in the strong coupling strength \alpha_s can be reduced to the solved problem of the resummation of the divergences in the angular-integrated cross section, resulting in well-behaved predictions in the small Q_{\perp} region. Among other results, we show the resummed part of the helicity structure functions preserves the Lam-Tung relation between the longitudinal and double spin-flip structure functions as a function of Q_{\perp} to all orders in \alpha_s.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures; typos corrected, references updated, a few clarifications recommended by the referee. Paper accepted for publication in Physical Review

Above- and belowground herbivory jointly impact defense and seed dispersal traits in Taraxacum officinale

Plants are able to cope with herbivores by inducing defensive traits or growth responses that allow them to reduce or avoid the impact of herbivores. Since above- and belowground herbivores differ substantially in life-history traits, for example feeding types, and their spatial distribution, it is likely that they induce different responses in plants. Moreover, strong interactive effects on defense and plant growth are expected when above- and belowground herbivores are jointly present. The strengths and directions of these responses have been scarcely addressed in the literature. Using Taraxacum officinale, the root-feeding nematode Meloidogyne hapla and the locust Schistocerca gregaria as a model species, we examined to what degree above- and belowground herbivory affect (1) plant growth responses, (2) the induction of plant defensive traits, that is, leaf trichomes, and (3) changes in dispersal-related seed traits and seed germination. We compared the performance of plants originating from different populations to address whether plant responses are conserved across putative different genotypes. Overall, aboveground herbivory resulted in increased plant biomass. Root herbivory had no effect on plant growth. Plants exposed to the two herbivores showed fewer leaf trichomes than plants challenged only by one herbivore and consequently experienced greater aboveground herbivory. In addition, herbivory had effects that reached beyond the individual plant by modifying seed morphology, producing seeds with longer pappus, and germination success

Axial anomaly and magnetism of nuclear and quark matter

We consider the response of the QCD ground state at finite baryon density to a strong magnetic field B. We point out the dominant role played by the coupling of neutral Goldstone bosons, such as pi^0, to the magnetic field via the axial triangle anomaly. We show that, in vacuum, above a value of B ~ m_pi^2/e, a metastable object appears - the pi^0 domain wall. Because of the axial anomaly, the wall carries a baryon number surface density proportional to B. As a result, for B ~ 10^{19} G a stack of parallel pi^0 domain walls is energetically more favorable than nuclear matter at the same density. Similarly, at higher densities, somewhat weaker magnetic fields of order B ~ 10^{17}-10^{18} G transform the color-superconducting ground state of QCD into new phases containing stacks of axial isoscalar (eta or eta') domain walls. We also show that a quark-matter state known as ``Goldstone current state,'' in which a gradient of a Goldstone field is spontaneously generated, is ferromagnetic due to the axial anomaly. We estimate the size of the fields created by such a state in a typical neutron star to be of order 10^{14}-10^{15} G.Comment: 18 pages, v2: added a discussion of the energy cost of neutralizing the domain wall charg

Health system constraints to optimal coverage of the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission programme in South Africa: lessons from the implementation of the national pilot programme

Background: It is three years since the government of South Africa began implementing a PMTCT programme. Over this period of time attempts have been made to scale up this programme across all provinces under routine health service conditions. Objectives: To report on the uptake and performance of South Africa\'s national pilot programme for preventing mother to child HIV transmission (PMTCT) and to identify health system constraints to optimal coverage. Methods: Routine programme data were collected from antenatal records and delivery registers at the pilot sites and interviews were conducted with health workers on site and with provincial programme managers. Results: Routine PMTCT programme data were collected from all 18 pilot sites for the period January to December 2002. During this period, of 84406 women attending the sites for first antenatal visits, 47267 (56%) agreed to an HIV test. 14340 (30%) of the women tested were HIV positive and of these 7853 (55%) were dispensed nevirapine. 7950 (99%) of infants born to women identified as being HIV positive received nevirapine syrup. 58% (4196/7237) of HIV positive women expressed an intention to exclusively formula feed, and 42% (3041/7237) intended to exclusively breastfeed. 1907 infants were due for 12 month HIV testing between January and December 2002, of these 949 (50%) infants were tested. Conclusions: Programme effectiveness was limited by the low rate of HIV test acceptance, poor delivery of nevirapine to mothers and inability to track mother-infant pairs postnatally for 12-month HIV testing of infants. Infant feeding intentions of mothers suggest inadequate counselling and possible negative effects of the provision of free formula milk. The poor perfor- mance of the main components of this programme will seriously reduce its operational effectiveness. There is a need for greater integration of VCT within antenatal care, a review of the current policy of providing free formula milk and an alternative model for mother-infant follow up. African Health Sciences Vol. 5 (3) 2005: pp. 213-21

Interannual variations in upper-ocean transport by the Gulf Stream and adjacent waters between New Jersey and Bermuda

Since the fall of 1992, an acoustic Doppler current profiler mounted on a freighter, the CMV Oleander, has been measuring upper-ocean currents between New Jersey and Bermuda on a weekly basis. The extensive database that results from the frequent, systematic, and sustained sampling enables the exploration of a number of questions regarding currents in the northwest Atlantic. This paper reports on interannual variations in transport in the Gulf Stream and adjacent waters. The repeat sampling greatly increases the ability to discern even rather subtle variations in near-surface transport and explore their possible causes. The transect is divided into three subregions: the Gulf Stream is defined by a high velocity core with an instantaneous width set by where the downstream component of velocity changes sign; the Slope Sea exists between the Gulf Stream and the continental shelfbreak; the Sargasso Sea lies between the Gulf Stream and Bermuda. These three regions exhibit quite different signatures of variability. Over the eleven years of operation to date annual averages of Gulf Stream transport have a standard deviation of 6% but a 23% peak-to-peak range. No discernable trend in transport is evident in the eleven-year record. The westward transport in the Slope and Sargasso seas can both vary by a factor two in magnitude but they have quite different temporal characteristics: the Slope Sea transport changes take place gradually whereas the Sargasso Sea exhibits much larger variations on shorter time scales. It is conjectured that the Slope Sea time scales are set by high-latitude buoyancy-related forcing, whereas the Sargasso Sea and Gulf Stream variability reflects tropical and subtropical mechanical forcing. The lateral position of the Gulf Stream exhibits a correlated behavior with westward transport in the Slope Sea. When Slope Sea transport increases, the Gulf Stream shifts to the south with a concomitant hint of increased Gulf Stream transport. The southward shift of the Gulf Stream may be part of a dynamical response to this increased circulation in the Slope Sea since the Slope Sea flow is blocked in the west by the Gulf Stream at Cape Hatteras suggesting that the path of the Gulf Stream is governed more by thermohaline- than wind-driven forcing. The fast time scales of transport in the stream, on the other hand, point to wind-driven forcing from the tropics and subtropics. Thus Gulf Stream position and transport would appear to be driven by quite different physical processes

What Can Hydrography Between the New England Slope, Bermuda and Africa Tell us About the Strength of the AMOC Over the Last 90 years?

The Gulf Stream is the only pathway in the subtropical North Atlantic by which warm water flows poleward. This transport of warm water and return of cold water at depth is called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The dynamic method is applied to hydrocasts collected since the 1930s to estimate upper-ocean transport (0–1,000 m) between the U.S. Continental Slope and Bermuda and separately to Africa with focus on the longest directly observable timescale. Calculating transport between the Slope and Bermuda eliminates the Gulf Stream\u27s northern and southern recirculation gyres, while calculations between the Slope and Africa remove all other recirculating geostrophic flow. The net Slope-Bermuda upper-ocean transport is estimated to be 41.1 ± 0.4 Sv, decreasing by 2.0 ± 0.8 Sv between 1930 and 2020. The AMOC contribution is 18.4 ± 0.6 Sv, decreasing by 0.4 ± 0.6 Sv between 1930 and 2020

Low Temperature Symmetry of Pyrochlore Oxide Cd2Re2O7

We report the X-ray study for the pyrochlore oxide Cd2Re2O7. Two symmetry-lowering structural transitions were observed at Ts1=200K and Ts2=120K. The former is of the second order from the ideal cubic pyrochlore structure with space group Fd-3m to a tetragonally distorted structure with I-4m2, while the latter is of the first order likely to another tetragonal space group I4122. We discuss the feature of the lattice deformation.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure