Masses and Decay Constants of Heavy-Light Mesons Using the Multistate Smearing Technique

We present results for f_B and masses of low-lying heavy-light mesons. Calculations were performed in the quenched approximation using multistate smearing functions generated from a spinless relativistic quark model Hamiltonian. Beta values range from 5.7 to 6.3, and light quark masses corresponding to pion masses as low as 300 MeV are computed at each value. We use the 1P--1S charmonium splitting to set the overall scale.Comment: 9 pages, 13 figures, and 5 tables as a single 193K compressed and uuencoded Postscript file, FERMILAB--CONF--93/376-

Properties of Low-Lying Heavy-Light Mesons

We present preliminary results for the B meson decay constant and masses of low-lying heavy-light mesons in the static limit. Calculations were performed on the lattice in the quenched approximation using multistate smearing functions generated from a Hamiltonian for a spinless relativistic quark. The 2S--1S and 1P--1S mass splittings are measured. Using the 1P--1S charmonium splitting to set the overall scale, the ground state decay constant, f_B, is 319 +- 11 (stat) MeV.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, UCLA/92/TEP/4

The role of the GP in managing suspected transient ischaemic attack: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: National guidelines recommend patients with suspected transient ischaemic attack (TIA) should be seen by a specialist within 24 h. However, people with suspected TIA often present to non-specialised services, particularly primary care. Therefore, general practitioners (GPs) have a crucial role in recognition and urgent referral of people with suspected TIA. This study aims to explore the role of GPs in the initial management of suspected TIA in the United Kingdom (UK). METHODS: One-to-one, semi-structured interviews with GPs, TIA clinic staff and patients with suspected TIA from two sites in the UK: Cambridge and Birmingham. Thematic analysis was undertaken to explore views on the role of the GP in managing suspected TIA. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with stroke patients (n = 12), GPs (n = 9) and TIA clinic hospital staff (n = 9) from two hospitals and nine GP practices in surrounding areas. RESULTS: Three overarching themes were identified: (1) multiple management pathways for suspected TIA; (2) uncertainty regarding suspected TIA as an emergency or routine situation; and (3) influences on the urgency of GP management. CONCLUSIONS: Guidelines on the primary care management of TIA describe only a small proportion of the factors which influence GP management and referral of suspected TIA. Efforts to improve treatment, appropriate referral and patient experience should use a real rather than idealised model of the GP role in managing suspected TIA.This research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The funders had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data or in writing the manuscript. JM and GT receive funding from the National Institute for Health Research NIHR Senior Investigator Award and Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, respectively. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care

Nanosecond laser texturing for high friction applications

AbstractA nanosecond pulsed Nd:YAG fibre laser with wavelength of 1064nm was used to texture several different steels, including grade 304 stainless steel, grade 316 stainless steel, Cr–Mo–Al ‘nitriding’ steel and low alloy carbon steel, in order to generate surfaces with a high static friction coefficient. Such surfaces have applications, for example, in large engines to reduce the tightening forces required for a joint or to secure precision fittings easily. For the generation of high friction textures, a hexagonal arrangement of laser pulses was used with various pulse overlaps and pulse energies. Friction testing of the samples suggests that the pulse energy should be high (around 0.8mJ) and the laser pulse overlap should be higher than 50% in order to achieve a static friction coefficient of more than 0.5. It was also noted that laser processing increases the surface hardness of samples which appears to correlate with the increase in friction. Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) measurements indicate that this hardness is caused by the formation of hard metal-oxides at the material surface

Gravitational waves from intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals for ground-based detectors

We explore the prospects for Advanced LIGO to detect gravitational waves from neutron stars and stellar mass black holes spiraling into intermediate-mass ($M\sim 50 M_\odot$ to $350 M_\odot$) black holes. We estimate an event rate for such \emph{intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals} (IMRIs) of up to $\sim 10$--$30 \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$. Our numerical simulations show that if the central body is not a black hole but its metric is stationary, axisymmetric, reflection symmetric and asymptotically flat then the waves will likely be tri-periodic, as for a black hole. We report generalizations of a theorem due to Ryan (1995) which suggest that the evolutions of the waves' three fundamental frequencies and of the complex amplitudes of their spectral components encode (in principle) a full map of the central body's metric, full details of the energy and angular momentum exchange between the central body and the orbit, and the time-evolving orbital elements. We estimate that Advanced LIGO can measure or constrain deviations of the central body from a Kerr black hole with modest but interesting accuracy.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

A geomorphology based reconstruction of ice volume distribution at the Last Glacial Maximum across the Southern Alps of New Zealand

We present a 3D reconstruction of ice thickness distribution across the New Zealand Southern Alps at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, c. 30–18 ka). To achieve this, we used a perfect plasticity model which could easily be applied to other regions, hereafter termed REVOLTA (Reconstruction of Volume and Topography Automation). REVOLTA is driven by a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), which was modified to best represent LGM bed topography. Specifically, we removed contemporary ice, integrated offshore bathymetry and removed contemporary lakes. A review of valley in-fill sediments, uplift and denudation was also undertaken. Down-valley ice extents were constrained to an updated geo-database of LGM ice limits, whilst the model was tuned to best-fit known vertical limits from geomorphological and geochronological dating studies. We estimate a total LGM ice volume of 6,800 km3, characterised predominantly by valley style glaciation but with an ice cap across Fiordland. With a contemporary ice volume of approximately 50 km3, this represents a loss of 99.25% since the LGM. Using the newly created ice surface, equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) for each glacier were reconstructed, revealing an average ELA depression of approximately 950 m from present. Analysis of the spatial variation of glacier-specific ELAs and their depression relative to today shows that whilst an east-west ELA gradient existed during the LGM it was less pronounced than at present. The reduced ELA gradient is attributed to an overall weakening of westerlies, a conclusion consistent with those derived from the latest independent climate models

Rates and Characteristics of Intermediate Mass Ratio Inspirals Detectable by Advanced LIGO

Gravitational waves (GWs) from the inspiral of a neutron star (NS) or stellar-mass black hole (BH) into an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) with mass between ~50 and ~350 solar masses may be detectable by the planned advanced generation of ground-based GW interferometers. Such intermediate mass ratio inspirals (IMRIs) are most likely to be found in globular clusters. We analyze four possible IMRI formation mechanisms: (1) hardening of an NS-IMBH or BH-IMBH binary via three-body interactions, (2) hardening via Kozai resonance in a hierarchical triple system, (3) direct capture, and (4) inspiral of a compact object from a tidally captured main-sequence star; we also discuss tidal effects when the inspiraling object is an NS. For each mechanism we predict the typical eccentricities of the resulting IMRIs. We find that IMRIs will have largely circularized by the time they enter the sensitivity band of ground-based detectors. Hardening of a binary via three-body interactions, which is likely to be the dominant mechanism for IMRI formation, yields eccentricities under 10^-4 when the GW frequency reaches 10 Hz. Even among IMRIs formed via direct captures, which can have the highest eccentricities, around 90% will circularize to eccentricities under 0.1 before the GW frequency reaches 10 Hz. We estimate the rate of IMRI coalescences in globular clusters and the sensitivity of a network of three Advanced LIGO detectors to the resulting GWs. We show that this detector network may see up to tens of IMRIs per year, although rates of one to a few per year may be more plausible. We also estimate the loss in signal-to-noise ratio that will result from using circular IMRI templates for data analysis and find that, for the eccentricities we expect, this loss is negligible.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; revised version reflects changes made to the article during the acceptance proces

Engineering molecularly-active nanoplasmonic surfaces for DNA detection via colorimetry and Raman scattering

We report a novel nanophotonic biosensor surface capable of both colorimetric detection and Raman-scattered detection of DNA infection markers at extreme sensitivities. Combining direct-write lithography, dip-pen nanolithography based DNA patterning, and molecular self-assembly, we create molecularly-active plasmonic nanostructures onto which metallic nanoparticles are located via DNA-hybridization. Arraying these structures enables optical surfaces that change state when contacted by specific DNA sequences; shifting the surface color while simultaneously generating strong Raman-scattering signals. Patterning the DNA markers onto the plasmonic surface as micro-scale symbols results in easily identifiable color shifts, making this technique applicable to multiplexed lab-on-a-chip and point-of-care diagnostic applications