217 research outputs found
Evidence of resonant surface wave excitation in the relativistic regime through measurements of proton acceleration from grating targets
The interaction of laser pulses with thin grating targets, having a periodic
groove at the irradiated surface, has been experimentally investigated.
Ultrahigh contrast () pulses allowed to demonstrate an enhanced
laser-target coupling for the first time in the relativistic regime of
ultra-high intensity >10^{19} \mbox{W/cm}^{2}. A maximum increase by a factor
of 2.5 of the cut-off energy of protons produced by Target Normal Sheath
Acceleration has been observed with respect to plane targets, around the
incidence angle expected for resonant excitation of surface waves. A
significant enhancement is also observed for small angles of incidence, out of
resonance.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, 2nd version implements final correction
Single electron quantum tomography in quantum Hall edge channels
We propose a quantum tomography protocol to measure single electron coherence
in quantum Hall edge channels and therefore access for the first time the wave
function of single electron excitations propagating in ballistic quantum
conductors. Its implementation would open the way to quantitative studies of
single electron decoherence and would provide a quantitative tool for analyzing
single to few electron sources. We show how this protocol could be implemented
using ultrahigh sensitivity noise measurement schemes.Comment: Version 3: long version (7 figures): corrections performed and
references have been added. Figures reprocessed for better readabilit
Entanglement between photons and atoms coupled out from a Bose-Einstein-Condensate
We study the limitations to the relative number squeezing between photons and
atoms coupled out from a homogeneous Bose-Einstein-Condensate. We consider the
coupling between the translational atomic states by two photon Bragg processes,
with one of the photon modes involved in the Bragg process in a coherent state,
and the other initially unpopulated. We start with an interacting Bose-
condensate at zero temperature and compute the time evolution for the system.
We study the squeezing, i.e. the variance of the occupation number difference
between the second photon and the atomic c.m. mode. We discuss how collisions
between the atoms and photon rescattering affect the degree of squeezing which
may be reached in such experiments.Comment: 4 pages RevTeX, 3 figure
Frequency Dependence of Quantum Localization in a Periodically Driven System
We study the quantum localization phenomena for a random matrix model
belonging to the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble (GOE). An oscillating external
field is applied on the system. After the transient time evolution, energy is
saturated to various values depending on the frequencies. We investigate the
frequency dependence of the saturated energy. This dependence cannot be
explained by a naive picture of successive independent Landau-Zener transitions
at avoided level crossing points. The effect of quantum interference is
essential. We define the number of Floquet states which have large overlap with
the initial state, and calculate its frequency dependence. The number of
Floquet states shows approximately linear dependence on the frequency, when the
frequency is small. Comparing the localization length in Floquet states and
that in energy states from the viewpoint of the Anderson localization, we
conclude that the Landau-Zener picture works for the local transition processes
between levels.Comment: 12 pages and 6 figure
Peroxy radical partitioning during the AMMA radical intercomparison exercise
Peroxy radicals were measured onboard two scientific aircrafts during the AMMA (African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis) campaign in summer 2006. This paper reports results from the flight on 16 August 2006 during which measurements of HO2 by laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy at low pressure (LIF-FAGE) and total peroxy radicals (RO2* = HO2+ΣRO2, R = organic chain) by two similar instruments based on the peroxy radical chemical amplification (PeRCA) technique were subject of a blind intercomparison. The German DLR-Falcon and the British FAAM-BAe-146 flew wing tip to wing tip for about 30 min making concurrent measurements on 2 horizontal level runs at 697 and 485 hPa over the same geographical area in Burkina Faso. A full set of supporting measurements comprising photolysis frequencies, and relevant trace gases like CO, NO, NO2, NOy, O3 and a wider range of VOCs were collected simultaneously.
Results are discussed on the basis of the characteristics and limitations of the different instruments used. Generally, no data bias are identified and the RO2* data available agree quite reasonably within the instrumental errors. The [RO2*]/[HO2] ratios, which vary between 1:1 and 3:1, as well as the peroxy radical variability, concur with variations in photolysis rates and in other potential radical precursors. Model results provide additional information about dominant radical formation and loss processes
Rucaparib maintenance treatment for recurrent ovarian carcinoma after response to platinum therapy (ARIEL3): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial
Background:
Rucaparib, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, has anticancer activity in recurrent ovarian carcinoma harbouring a BRCA mutation or high percentage of genome-wide loss of heterozygosity. In this trial we assessed rucaparib versus placebo after response to second-line or later platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with high-grade, recurrent, platinum-sensitive ovarian carcinoma.
Methods:
In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial, we recruited patients from 87 hospitals and cancer centres across 11 countries. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, had a platinum-sensitive, high-grade serous or endometrioid ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube carcinoma, had received at least two previous platinum-based chemotherapy regimens, had achieved complete or partial response to their last platinum-based regimen, had a cancer antigen 125 concentration of less than the upper limit of normal, had a performance status of 0–1, and had adequate organ function. Patients were ineligible if they had symptomatic or untreated central nervous system metastases, had received anticancer therapy 14 days or fewer before starting the study, or had received previous treatment with a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor. We randomly allocated patients 2:1 to receive oral rucaparib 600 mg twice daily or placebo in 28 day cycles using a computer-generated sequence (block size of six, stratified by homologous recombination repair gene mutation status, progression-free interval after the penultimate platinum-based regimen, and best response to the most recent platinum-based regimen). Patients, investigators, site staff, assessors, and the funder were masked to assignments. The primary outcome was investigator-assessed progression-free survival evaluated with use of an ordered step-down procedure for three nested cohorts: patients with BRCA mutations (carcinoma associated with deleterious germline or somatic BRCA mutations), patients with homologous recombination deficiencies (BRCA mutant or BRCA wild-type and high loss of heterozygosity), and the intention-to-treat population, assessed at screening and every 12 weeks thereafter. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01968213; enrolment is complete.
Findings:
Between April 7, 2014, and July 19, 2016, we randomly allocated 564 patients: 375 (66%) to rucaparib and 189 (34%) to placebo. Median progression-free survival in patients with a BRCA-mutant carcinoma was 16·6 months (95% CI 13·4–22·9; 130 [35%] patients) in the rucaparib group versus 5·4 months (3·4–6·7; 66 [35%] patients) in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·23 [95% CI 0·16–0·34]; p<0·0001). In patients with a homologous recombination deficient carcinoma (236 [63%] vs 118 [62%]), it was 13·6 months (10·9–16·2) versus 5·4 months (5·1–5·6; 0·32 [0·24–0·42]; p<0·0001). In the intention-to-treat population, it was 10·8 months (8·3–11·4) versus 5·4 months (5·3–5·5; 0·36 [0·30–0·45]; p<0·0001). Treatment-emergent adverse events of grade 3 or higher in the safety population (372 [99%] patients in the rucaparib group vs 189 [100%] in the placebo group) were reported in 209 (56%) patients in the rucaparib group versus 28 (15%) in the placebo group, the most common of which were anaemia or decreased haemoglobin concentration (70 [19%] vs one [1%]) and increased alanine or aspartate aminotransferase concentration (39 [10%] vs none).
Interpretation:
Across all primary analysis groups, rucaparib significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer who had achieved a response to platinum-based chemotherapy. ARIEL3 provides further evidence that use of a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor in the maintenance treatment setting versus placebo could be considered a new standard of care for women with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer following a complete or partial response to second-line or later platinum-based chemotherapy.
Funding:
Clovis Oncology
Chaos assisted tunnelling with cold atoms
In the context of quantum chaos, both theory and numerical analysis predict
large fluctuations of the tunnelling transition probabilities when irregular
dynamics is present at the classical level. We consider here the
non-dissipative quantum evolution of cold atoms trapped in a time-dependent
modulated periodic potential generated by two laser beams. We give some precise
guidelines for the observation of chaos assisted tunnelling between invariant
phase space structures paired by time-reversal symmetry.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. E ; 16 pages, 13 figures; figures of better
quality can be found at http://www.phys.univ-tours.fr/~mouchet
CoRoT high-precision photometry of the B0.5 IV star HD 51756
OB stars are important constituents for the ecology of the Universe, and
there are only a few studies on their pulsational properties detailed enough to
provide important feedback on current evolutionary models. Our goal is to
analyse and interpret the behaviour present in the CoRoT light curve of the
B0.5 IV star HD 51756 observed during the second long run of the space mission,
and to determine the fundamental stellar parameters from ground-based
spectroscopy gathered with the CORALIE and HARPS instruments after checking for
signs of variability and binarity, thus making a step further in mapping the
top of the Beta Cep instability strip. We compare the newly obtained
high-resolution spectra with synthetic spectra of late O-type and early B-type
stars computed on a grid of stellar parameters. We match the results with
evolutionary tracks to estimate stellar parameters. We use various time series
analysis tools to explore the nature of the variations present in the light
curve. Additional calculations are carried out based on distance and historical
position measurements of the components to impose constraints on the binary
orbit. We find that HD 51756 is a wide binary with both a slow (v sin i \approx
28 km s^-1) and a fast (v sin i \approx 170 km s^-1) early-B rotator whose
atmospheric parameters are similar (T_eff \approx 30000 K and log g \approx
3.75). We are unable to detect pulsation in any of the components, and we
interpret the harmonic structure in the frequency spectrum as sign of
rotational modulation, which is compatible with the observed and deduced
stellar parameters of both components. The non-detection of pulsation modes
provides a feedback on the theoretical treatment, given that non-adiabatic
computations applied to appropriate stellar models predict the excitation of
both pressure and gravity modes for the fundamental parameters of this star.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics on 14/01/2011,
11 pages, 9 figures, 4 table
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