Neutron electric form factor at large momentum transfer

Based on the recent, high precision data for elastic electron scattering from protons and deuterons, at relatively large momentum transfer $Q^2$, we determine the neutron electric form factor up to $Q^2=3.5$ GeV$^2$. The values obtained from the data (in the framework of the nonrelativistic impulse approximation) are larger than commonly assumed and are in good agreement with the Gari-Kr\"umpelmann parametrization of the nucleon electromagnetic form factors.Comment: 11 pages 2 figure

Why the paper CERN-PH-EP-2009-015 (arXiv:0903.4762) is scientifically unacceptable

The paper CERN-PH-EP-2009-015 (arXiv:0903.4762) by A. Bagulya et al. violates standards of quality of work and scientific ethics on several counts. The paper contains assertions that contradict established detector physics. The paper falls short of proving the correctness of the authors' concepts and results. The paper ignores or quotes misleadingly pertinent published work. The paper ignores the fact that the authors' concepts and results have already been shown wrong in the published literature. The authors seem unaware that cross-section results from the 'HARP Collaboration' that are based on the paper's concepts and algorithms are in gross disagreement with the results of a second analysis of the same data, and with the results of other experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Shear Flow Generation and Energetics in Electromagnetic Turbulence

Zonal flows are recognised to play a crucial role for magnetised plasma confinement. The genesis of these flows out of turbulent fluctuations is therefore of significant interest. We investigate the relative importance of zonal flow generation mechanisms via the Reynolds stress, Maxwell stress, and geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) transfer in drift-Alfv\'en turbulence. By means of numerical computations we quantify the energy transfer into zonal flows owing to each of these effects. The importance of the three driving ingredients in electrostatic and electromagnetic turbulence for conditions relevant to the edge of fusion devices is revealed for a broad range of parameters. The Reynolds stress is found to provide a flow drive, while the electromagnetic Maxwell stress is in the cases considered a sink for the flow energy. In the limit of high plasma beta, where electromagnetic effects and Alfv\'en dynamics are important, the Maxwell stress is found to cancel the Reynolds stress to a high degree. The geodesic oscillations, related to equilibrium pressure profile modifications due to poloidally asymmetric transport, can act as both sinks as drive terms, depending on the parameter regime. For high beta cases the GAMs are the main drive of the flow. This is also reflected in the frequency dependence of the flow, showing a distinct peak at the GAM frequency in that regime.Comment: 16 pages, 12 Figure

Cross-sections of large-angle hadron production in proton- and pion-nucleus interactions VII: tin nuclei and beam momenta from \pm3 GeV/c to \pm15 GeV/c

We report on double-differential inclusive cross-sections of the production of secondary protons, charged pions, and deuterons, in the interactions with a 5% nuclear interaction length thick stationary tin target, of proton and pion beams with momentum from \pm3 GeV/c to \pm15 GeV/c. Results are given for secondary particles with production angles between 20 and 125 degrees. Cross-sections on tin nuclei are compared with cross-sections on beryllium, carbon, copper, tantalum and lead nuclei.Comment: 68 pages, 13 figure

Relative luminosity measurement of the LHC with the ATLAS forward calorimeter

In this paper it is shown that a measurement of the relative luminosity changes at the LHC may be obtained by analysing the currents drawn from the high voltage power supplies of the electromagnetic section of the forward calorimeter of the ATLAS detector. The method was verified with a reproduction of a small section of the ATLAS forward calorimeter using proton beams of known beam energies and variable intensities at the U-70 accelerator at IHEP in Protvino, Russia. The experimental setup and the data taking during a test beam run in April 2008 are described in detail. A comparison of the measured high voltage currents with reference measurements from beam intensity monitors shows a linear dependence on the beam intensity. The non-linearities are measured to be less than 0.5 % combining statistical and systematic uncertainties.Comment: 16 page

Explaining UXOR variability with self-shadowed disks

In this Letter we propose a new view on UX Orionis type variability. The idea is based on the earlier proposal by various authors that UXORs are nearly-edge-on disks in which hydrodynamic fluctuations could cause clumps of dust and gas to cross the line of sight. However, because the standard disk models have a flaring geometry, it is mostly the outer regions of the disk that obscure the star. The time scales for such obscuration events would be too long to match the observed time scales of weeks to months. Recent 2-D self-consistent models of Herbig Ae/Be protoplanetary disks (Dullemond et al. 2002,2003 henceforth D02/DD03), however, have indicated that for Herbig Ae/Be star disks there exists, in addition to the usual flared disks, also a new class of disks: those that are fully self-shadowed. Only their puffed-up inner rim (at the dust evaporation radius) is directly irradiated by the star, while the disk at larger radius resides in the shadow of the rim. For these disks there exist inclinations at which the line of sight towards the star skims the upper parts of the puffed-up inner rim, while passing high over the surface of outer disk regions. Small hydrodynamic fluctuations in the puffed-up inner rim could then be held responsible for the extinction events seen in UXORs. If this idea is correct, it makes a prediction for the shape of the SEDs of these stars. It was shown by D02/DD03 that flared disks have a strong far-IR excess and can be classified as `group I' (in the classification of Meeus et al. 2001), while self-shadowed disks have a relatively weak far-IR excess and are classified as `group II'. Our model therefore predicts that UXORs belong to the `group II' sources. We show that this correlation is indeed found within a sample of 86 Herbig Ae/Be stars.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters (a few lines added to original version to accommodate comments of referee

Scintillation counter with MRS APD light readout

START, a high-efficiency and low-noise scintillation detector for ionizing particles, was developed for the purpose of creating a high-granular system for triggering cosmic muons. Scintillation light in START is detected by MRS APDs (Avalanche Photo-Diodes with Metal-Resistance-Semiconductor structure), operated in the Geiger mode, which have 1 mm^2 sensitive areas. START is assembled from a 15 x 15 x 1 cm^3 scintillating plastic plate, two MRS APDs and two pieces of wavelength-shifting optical fiber stacked in circular coils inside the plastic. The front-end electronic card is mounted directly on the detector. Tests with START have confirmed its operational consistency, over 99% efficiency of MIP registration and good homogeneity. START demonstrates a low intrinsic noise of about 10^{-2} Hz. If these detectors are to be mass-produced, the cost of a mosaic array of STARTs is estimated at a moderate level of 2-3 kUSD/m^2.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Investigating the origin of cyclical wind variability in hot, massive stars - I. On the dipolar magnetic field hypothesis

OB stars exhibit various types of spectral variability associated with wind structures, including the apparently ubiquitous discrete absorption components (DACs). These are proposed to be caused by either magnetic fields or non-radial pulsations (NRPs). In this paper, we evaluate the possible relation between large-scale, dipolar magnetic fields and the DAC phenomenon by investigating the magnetic properties of a sample of 13 OB stars exhibiting well-documented DAC behaviour. Using high-precision spectropolarimetric data acquired in part in the context of the Magnetism in Massive Stars (MiMeS) project, we find no evidence for surface dipolar magnetic fields in any of these stars. Using Bayesian inference, we compute upper limits on the strengths of the fields and use these limits to assess two potential mechanisms by which the field may influence wind outflow: magnetic wind confinement and local photospheric brightness enhancements. Within the limits we derive, both mechanisms fail to provide a systematic process capable of producing DACs in all of the stars of our sample. Therefore, this implies that dipolar fields are highly unlikely to be responsible for these structures in all massive stars, meaning that some other mechanism must come into play.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Backlund transformations for many-body systems related to KdV

We present Backlund transformations (BTs) with parameter for certain classical integrable n-body systems, namely the many-body generalised Henon-Heiles, Garnier and Neumann systems. Our construction makes use of the fact that all these systems may be obtained as particular reductions (stationary or restricted flows) of the KdV hierarchy; alternatively they may be considered as examples of the reduced sl(2) Gaudin magnet. The BTs provide exact time-discretizations of the original (continuous) systems, preserving the Lax matrix and hence all integrals of motion, and satisfy the spectrality property with respect to the Backlund parameter.Comment: LaTeX2e, 8 page