49 research outputs found
Quantum Monte Carlo calculations of nuclei
We report on quantum Monte Carlo calculations of the ground and low-lying
excited states of nuclei using realistic Hamiltonians containing the
Argonne two-nucleon potential alone or with one of several
three-nucleon potentials, including Urbana IX and three of the new Illinois
models. The calculations begin with correlated many-body wave functions that
have an -like core and multiple p-shell nucleons, -coupled to the
appropriate quantum numbers for the state of interest. After
optimization, these variational trial functions are used as input to a Green's
function Monte Carlo calculation of the energy, using a constrained path
algorithm. We find that the Hamiltonians that include Illinois three-nucleon
potentials reproduce ten states in Li, Be, Be, and B with
an rms deviation as little as 900 keV. In particular, we obtain the correct
3 ground state for B, whereas the Argonne alone or with
Urbana IX predicts a 1 ground state. In addition, we calculate isovector
and isotensor energy differences, electromagnetic moments, and one- and
two-body density distributions.Comment: 28 pages, 12 tables, 7 figure
Structure of Excited States of 10Be studied with Antisymmetrized Molecular Dynamics
We study structure of excited states of 10Be with the method of variation
after spin parity projection in the framework of antisymmetrized molecular
dynamics. Present calculations describe many excited states and reproduce the
experimental data of E2 and E1 transitions and the new data of the
transition strength successfully. We make systematic discussions on the
molecule-like structures of light unstable nuclei and the important role of the
valence neutrons based on the results obtained with the framework which is free
from such model assumptions as the existence of inert cores and clusters.Comment: 15 pages, RevTex, seven postscript figures (using epsf.sty
Impact of the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami on Pneumonia Hospitalisations and Mortality Among Adults in Northern Miyagi, Japan: A Multicentre Observational Study
Background On 11 March 2011, the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami struck off the coast of northeastern Japan. Within 3 weeks, an increased number of pneumonia admissions and deaths occurred in local hospitals.
Methods A multicentre survey was conducted at three hospitals in Kesennuma City (population 74000), northern Miyagi Prefecture. All adults aged ≥18 years hospitalised between March 2010 and June 2011 with community-acquired pneumonia were identified using hospital databases and medical records. Segmented regression analyses were used to quantify changes in the incidence of pneumonia.
Results A total of 550 pneumonia hospitalisations were identified, including 325 during the pre-disaster period and 225 cases during the post-disaster period. The majority (90%) of the post-disaster pneumonia patients were aged ≥65 years, and only eight cases (3.6%) were associated with near-drowning in the tsunami waters. The clinical pattern and causative pathogens were almost identical among the pre-disaster and post-disaster pneumonia patients. A marked increase in the incidence of pneumonia was observed during the 3-month period following the disaster; the weekly incidence rates of pneumonia hospitalisations and pneumonia-associated deaths increased by 5.7 times (95% CI 3.9 to 8.4) and 8.9 times (95% CI 4.4 to 17.8), respectively. The increases were largest among residents in nursing homes followed by those in evacuation shelters.
Conclusions A substantial increase in the pneumonia burden was observed among adults after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Although the exact cause remains unresolved, multiple factors including population aging and stressful living conditions likely contributed to this pneumonia outbreak
Do Hadronic Charge Exchange Reactions Measure Electroweak L = 1 Strength?
An eikonal model has been used to assess the relationship between calculated
strengths for first forbidden beta decay and calculated cross sections for
(p,n) charge exchange reactions. It is found that these are proportional for
strong transitions, suggesting that hadronic charge exchange reactions may be
useful in determining the spin-dipole matrix elements for astrophysically
interesting leptonic transitions.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, Submitted to Physical Review
Gamow-Teller Strengths of the Inverse-Beta Transition 176Yb --> 176Lu for Spectroscopy of Proton-Proton and other sub-MeV Solar Neutrinos
Discrete Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions, 176Yb-->176Lu at low excitation
energies have been measured via the (3He,t) reaction at 450 MeV and at 0
degrees. For 176Yb, two low-lying states are observed, setting low thresholds
Q(neutrino)=301 and 445 keV for neutrino capture. Capture rates estimated from
the measured GT strengths, the simple two-state excitation structure, and the
low Q(neutrino) in Yb--Lu indicate that Yb-based neutrino-detectors are well
suited for a direct measurement of the complete sub-MeV solar electron-neutrino
spectrum (including pp neutrinos) where definitive effects of flavor conversion
are expected
Soft X-ray harmonic comb from relativistic electron spikes
We demonstrate a new high-order harmonic generation mechanism reaching the
`water window' spectral region in experiments with multi-terawatt femtosecond
lasers irradiating gas jets. A few hundred harmonic orders are resolved, giving
uJ/sr pulses. Harmonics are collectively emitted by an oscillating electron
spike formed at the joint of the boundaries of a cavity and bow wave created by
a relativistically self-focusing laser in underdense plasma. The spike
sharpness and stability are explained by catastrophe theory. The mechanism is
corroborated by particle-in-cell simulations
X-ray harmonic comb from relativistic electron spikes
X-ray devices are far superior to optical ones for providing nanometre
spatial and attosecond temporal resolutions. Such resolution is indispensable
in biology, medicine, physics, material sciences, and their applications. A
bright ultrafast coherent X-ray source is highly desirable, for example, for
the diffractive imaging of individual large molecules, viruses, or cells. Here
we demonstrate experimentally a new compact X-ray source involving high-order
harmonics produced by a relativistic-irradiance femtosecond laser in a gas
target. In our first implementation using a 9 Terawatt laser, coherent soft
X-rays are emitted with a comb-like spectrum reaching the 'water window' range.
The generation mechanism is robust being based on phenomena inherent in
relativistic laser plasmas: self-focusing, nonlinear wave generation
accompanied by electron density singularities, and collective radiation by a
compact electric charge. The formation of singularities (electron density
spikes) is described by the elegant mathematical catastrophe theory, which
explains sudden changes in various complex systems, from physics to social
sciences. The new X-ray source has advantageous scalings, as the maximum
harmonic order is proportional to the cube of the laser amplitude enhanced by
relativistic self-focusing in plasma. This allows straightforward extension of
the coherent X-ray generation to the keV and tens of keV spectral regions. The
implemented X-ray source is remarkably easily accessible: the requirements for
the laser can be met in a university-scale laboratory, the gas jet is a
replenishable debris-free target, and the harmonics emanate directly from the
gas jet without additional devices. Our results open the way to a compact
coherent ultrashort brilliant X-ray source with single shot and high-repetition
rate capabilities, suitable for numerous applications and diagnostics in many
research fields