123 research outputs found
New experimental limit on Pauli Exclusion Principle violation by electrons (the VIP experiment)
The Pauli exclusion principle (PEP) represents one of the basic principles of
modern physics and, even if there are no compelling reasons to doubt its
validity, it still spurs a lively debate, because an intuitive, elementary
explanation is still missing, and because of its unique stand among the basic
symmetries of physics. A new limit on the probability that PEP is violated by
electrons was estabilished by the VIP (VIolation of the Pauli exclusion
principle) Collaboration, using the method of searching for PEP forbidden
atomic transitions in copper. The preliminary value, {1/2}\beta^{2} \textless
4.5\times 10^{-28}, represents an improvement of about two orders of magnitude
of the previous limit. The goal of VIP is to push this limit at the level of
.Comment: submitted to Journal of Physics: Conference Series, by the Institute
of Physic
Pcdh11x controls target specification of mossy fiber sprouting
Circuit formation is a defining characteristic of the developing brain. However, multiple lines of evidence suggest that circuit formation can also take place in adults, the mechanisms of which remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the epilepsy-associated mossy fiber (MF) sprouting in the adult hippocampus and asked which cell surface molecules define its target specificity. Using single-cell RNAseq data, we found lack and expression of Pcdh11x in non-sprouting and sprouting neurons respectively. Subsequently, we used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to disrupt the Pcdh11x gene and characterized its consequences on sprouting. Although MF sprouting still developed, its target specificity was altered. New synapses were frequently formed on granule cell somata in addition to dendrites. Our findings shed light onto a key molecular determinant of target specificity in MF sprouting and contribute to understanding the molecular mechanism of adult brain rewiring
VIP: An Experiment to Search for a Violation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle
The Pauli Exclusion Principle is a basic principle of Quantum Mechanics, and
its validity has never been seriously challenged. However, given its
fundamental standing, it is very important to check it as thoroughly as
possible. Here we describe the VIP (VIolation of the Pauli exclusion principle)
experiment, an improved version of the Ramberg and Snow experiment (E. Ramberg
and G. Snow, {\it Phys. Lett. B} {\bf 238}, 438 (1990)); VIP has just completed
the installation at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory, and aims to test the
Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons with unprecedented accuracy, down to
. We report preliminary experimental
results and briefly discuss some of the implications of a possible violation.Comment: Plenary talk presented by E. Milotti at Meson 2006, Cracow, 9-13 June
200
New experimental limit on Pauli Exclusion Principle violation by electrons (the VIP experiment)
The Pauli Exclusion Principle is one of the basic principles of modern
physics and is at the very basis of our understanding of matter: thus it is
fundamental importance to test the limits of its validity. Here we present the
VIP (Violation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle) experiment, where we search
for anomalous X-rays emitted by copper atoms in a conductor: any detection of
these anomalous X-rays would mark a Pauli-forbidden transition. ] VIP is
currently taking data at the Gran Sasso underground laboratories, and its
scientific goal is to improve by at least four orders of magnitude the previous
limit on the probability of Pauli violating transitions, bringing it into the
10**-29 - 10**-30 region. First experimental results, together with future
plans, are presented.Comment: To appear in proceedings of the XLVI International Winter Meeting on
Nuclear Physics, Bormio, Italy, January 20-26, 200
Commissural dentate granule cell projections and their rapid formation in the adult brain
Dentate granule cells (GCs) have been characterized as unilaterally projecting neurons within each hippocampus. Here, we describe a unique class, the commissural GCs, which atypically project to the contralateral hippocampus in mice. Although commissural GCs are rare in the healthy brain, their number and contralateral axon density rapidly increase in a rodent model of temporal lobe epilepsies. In this model, commissural GC axon growth appears together with the well-studied hippocampal mossy fiber sprouting and may be important for the pathomechanisms of epilepsy. Our results augment the current view on hippocampal GC diversity and demonstrate powerful activation of a commissural wiring program in the adult brain
The VIP Experiment
The Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) is a basic principle of Quantum
Mechanics, and its validity has never been seriously challenged. However, given
its importance, it is very important to check it as thoroughly as possible.
Here we describe the VIP (Violation of PEP) experiment, an improved version of
the Ramberg and Snow experiment (Ramberg and Snow, Phys. Lett. B238 (1990)
438); VIP shall be performed at the Gran Sasso underground laboratories, and
aims to test the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons with unprecedented
accuracy, down to Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, PDF only, presented by Edoardo Milotti to the
conference "Quantum Theory: reconsideration of foundations-3", Vaxjo
(Sweden), June, 6-11 200
Testing the Pauli Exclusion Principle for Electrons
One of the fundamental rules of nature and a pillar in the foundation of
quantum theory and thus of modern physics is represented by the Pauli Exclusion
Principle. We know that this principle is extremely well fulfilled due to many
observations. Numerous experiments were performed to search for tiny violation
of this rule in various systems. The experiment VIP at the Gran Sasso
underground laboratory is searching for possible small violations of the Pauli
Exclusion Principle for electrons leading to forbidden X-ray transitions in
copper atoms. VIP is aiming at a test of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for
electrons with high accuracy, down to the level of 10 - 10,
thus improving the previous limit by 3-4 orders of magnitude. The experimental
method, results obtained so far and new developments within VIP2 (follow-up
experiment at Gran Sasso, in preparation) to further increase the precision by
2 orders of magnitude will be presented.Comment: Proceedings DISCRETE 2012-Third Symposium on Prospects in the Physics
of Discrete Symmetries, Lisbon, December 3-7, 201
High sensitivity tests of the Pauli Exclusion Principle with VIP2
The Pauli Exclusion Principle is one of the most fundamental rules of nature
and represents a pillar of modern physics. According to many observations the
Pauli Exclusion Principle must be extremely well fulfilled. Nevertheless,
numerous experimental investigations were performed to search for a small
violation of this principle. The VIP experiment at the Gran Sasso underground
laboratory searched for Pauli-forbidden X-ray transitions in copper atoms using
the Ramberg-Snow method and obtained the best limit so far. The follow-up
experiment VIP2 is designed to reach even higher sensitivity. It aims to
improve the limit by VIP by orders of magnitude. The experimental method,
comparison of different PEP tests based on different assumptions and the
developments for VIP2 are presented.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings DISCRETE2014 Conferenc
Application of photon detectors in the VIP2 experiment to test the Pauli Exclusion Principle
The Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) was introduced by the austrian physicist
Wolfgang Pauli in 1925. Since then, several experiments have checked its
validity. From 2006 until 2010, the VIP (VIolation of the Pauli Principle)
experiment took data at the LNGS underground laboratory to test the PEP. This
experiment looked for electronic 2p to 1s transitions in copper, where 2
electrons are in the 1s state before the transition happens. These transitions
violate the PEP. The lack of detection of X-ray photons coming from these
transitions resulted in a preliminary upper limit for the violation of the PEP
of . Currently, the successor experiment VIP2 is under
preparation. The main improvements are, on one side, the use of Silicon Drift
Detectors (SDDs) as X-ray photon detectors. On the other side an active
shielding is implemented, which consists of plastic scintillator bars read by
Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). The employment of these detectors will
improve the upper limit for the violation of the PEP by around 2 orders of
magnitude
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