Conformal Gravity with Electrodynamics for Fermion Fields and their Symmetry Breaking Mechanism

In this paper we consider an axial torsion to build metric-compatible connections in conformal gravity, with gauge potentials; the geometric background is filled with Dirac spinors: scalar fields with suitable potentials are added eventually. The system of field equations is worked out to have torsional effects converted into spinorial self-interactions: the massless spinors display self-interactions of a specific form that gives them the features they have in the non-conformal theory but with the additional character of renormalizability, and the mechanisms of generation of mass and cosmological constants become dynamical. As a final step we will address the cosmological constant and coincidence problems.Comment: 13 page

Multi-band spectroscopy of inhomogeneous Mott-insulator states of ultracold bosons

In this work, we use inelastic scattering of light to study the response of inhomogeneous Mott-insulator gases to external excitations. The experimental setup and procedure to probe the atomic Mott states are presented in detail. We discuss the link between the energy absorbed by the gases and accessible experimental parameters as well as the linearity of the response to the scattering of light. We investigate the excitations of the system in multiple energy bands and a band-mapping technique allows us to identify band and momentum of the excited atoms. In addition the momentum distribution in the Mott states which is spread over the entire first Brillouin zone enables us to reconstruct the dispersion relation in the high energy bands using a single Bragg excitation with a fixed momentum transfer.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure

Momentum-resolved study of an array of 1D strongly phase-fluctuating Bose gases

We investigate the coherence properties of an array of one-dimensional Bose gases with short-scale phase fluctuations. The momentum distribution is measured using Bragg spectroscopy and an effective coherence length of the whole ensemble is defined. In addition, we propose and demonstrate that time-of-flight absorption imaging can be used as a simple probe to directly measure the coherence-length of 1D gases in the regime where phase-fluctuations are strong. This method is suitable for future studies such as investigating the effect of disorder on the phase coherence.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

An Analytical Benchmark for the Calculation of Current Distribution in Superconducting Cables

The validation of numerical codes for the calculation of current distribution and AC loss in superconducting cables versus experimental results is essential, but could be affected by approximations in the electromagnetic model or incertitude in the evaluation of the model parameters. A preliminary validation of the codes by means of a comparison with analytical results can therefore be very useful, in order to distinguish among different error sources. We provide here a benchmark analytical solution for current distribution that applies to the case of a cable described using a distributed parameters electrical circuit model. The analytical solution of current distribution is valid for cables made of a generic number of strands, subjected to well defined symmetry and uniformity conditions in the electrical parameters. The closed form solution for the general case is rather complex to implement, and in this paper we give the analytical solutions for different simplified situations. In particular we examine the influence of different boundary conditions, the effect of a localised resistance in the middle of the cable such as in the case of quench and the effects of localized time dependent magnetic fluxes acting on the cable

Analytical Calculation of Current Distribution in Multistrand Superconducting Cables

In recent years the problem of current distribution in multistrand superconducting cables has received increasing attention for large scale superconductivity applications due to its effect on the stability of fusion magnets and the field quality of accelerator magnets. A modelling approach based on distributed parameters has revealed to be very effective in dealing with long cables made of some tens or hundreds of strands. In this paper we present a fully analytical solution equation for a distributed parameters model in cables made of an arbitrary number of strands, whose validity is subjected to symmetry conditions generally satisfied in practical cables. We give in particular analytical formulae of practical use for the estimation of the maximum strand currents, time constants and redistribution lengths as a function of the cable properties and the external voltage source

A modified theory of gravity with torsion and its applications to cosmology and particle physics

In this paper we consider the most general least-order derivative theory of gravity in which not only curvature but also torsion is explicitly present in the Lagrangian, and where all independent fields have their own coupling constant: we will apply this theory to the case of ELKO fields, which is the acronym of the German \textit{Eigenspinoren des LadungsKonjugationsOperators} designating eigenspinors of the charge conjugation operator, and thus they are a Majorana-like special type of spinors; and to the Dirac fields, the most general type of spinors. We shall see that because torsion has a coupling constant that is still undetermined, the ELKO and Dirac field equations are endowed with self-interactions whose coupling constant is undetermined: we discuss different applications according to the value of the coupling constants and the different properties that consequently follow. We highlight that in this approach, the ELKO and Dirac field's self-interactions depend on the coupling constant as a parameter that may even make these non-linearities manifest at subatomic scales.Comment: 21 page

On the consistency of Constraints in Matter Field Theories

We consider how the principles of causality and equivalence restrict the background in which matter field theories are defined; those constraints develop in restrictions for these matter field theories: the simplest matter field theory aside, all other less simple matter field theories are too complex therefore resulting to be inconsistent in general instances.Comment: 10 page

Electrophysiology of glioma: a Rho GTPase-activating protein reduces tumor growth and spares neuron structure and function

Background. Glioblastomas are the most aggressive type of brain tumor. A successful treatment should aim at halting tumor growth and protecting neuronal cells to prevent functional deficits and cognitive deterioration. Here, we exploited a Rho GTPase-activating bacterial protein toxin, cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (CNF1), to interfere with glioma cell growth in vitro and vivo. We also investigated whether this toxin spares neuron structure and function in peritumoral areas. Methods. We performed a microarray transcriptomic and in-depth proteomic analysis to characterize the molecular changes triggered by CNF1 in glioma cells. We also examined tumor cell senescence and growth in vehicle-and CNF1-treated glioma-bearing mice. Electrophysiological and morphological techniques were used to investigate neuronal alterations in peritumoral cortical areas. Results. Administration of CNF1 triggered molecular and morphological hallmarks of senescence in mouse and human glioma cells in vitro. CNF1 treatment in vivo induced glioma cell senescence and potently reduced tumor volumes. In peritumoral areas of glioma-bearing mice, neurons showed a shrunken dendritic arbor and severe functional alterations such as increased spontaneous activity and reduced visual responsiveness. CNF1 treatment enhanced dendritic length and improved several physiological properties of pyramidal neurons, demonstrating functional preservation of the cortical network. Conclusions. Our findings demonstrate that CNF1 reduces glioma volume while at the same time maintaining the physiological and structural properties of peritumoral neurons. These data indicate a promising strategy for the development of more effective antiglioma therapies