Enhancing the acute psychological benefits of green exercise: An investigation of expectancy effects

Objective Exercising in the presence of a natural environment (termed green exercise) appears to provide addition benefits compared to indoor exercise. We assessed the impact of a green exercise promotional video on the acute psychological benefits of green-outdoor and indoor exercise. Design Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Two groups undertook green exercise (with one of these groups watching a green exercise promotional video). The other two groups undertook indoor exercise (with one of these groups watching the promotional video). The green-outdoor and indoor exercise conditions were created to replicate those of a previous study (Rogerson, Gladwell, Gallagher, & Barton, 2016b). The promotional video was designed to highlight benefits of green exercise and was used to manipulate expectations of acute green exercise. Method Participants (N = 60) completed 15-min of moderate-intensity cycling, with self-esteem, vigour (dependent variables), and attitudes (manipulation check) assessed pre- and post-activity. Measures of physical activity and green exercise levels were also recorded at baseline. Results The findings suggest that green exercise elicits greater psychological benefits than indoor exercise, and those benefits can be increased via expectancy modification. In contrast, the same expectancy modification suppressed the psychological benefits of cycling indoors. Conclusions A promotional video can further enhance the affective response to green exercise. This may help to encourage future physical activity participation holding great promise for researchers, practitioners and policy makers

Exact Solution of the Isovector Proton Neutron Pairing Hamiltonian

The complete exact solution of the T=1 neutron-proton pairing Hamiltonian is presented in the context of the SO(5) Richardson-Gaudin model with non-degenerate single-particle levels and including isospin-symmetry breaking terms. The power of the method is illustrated with a numerical calculation for $^{64}$Ge for a $pf+g_{9/2}$ model space which is out of reach of modern shell-model codes.Comment: To be published by Physical Review Letter

Classification of states of single-jj fermions with JJ-pairing interaction

In this paper we show that a system of three fermions is exactly solvable for the case of a single-$j$ in the presence of an angular momentum-$J$ pairing interaction. On the basis of the solutions for this system, we obtain new sum rules for six-$j$ symbols. It is also found that the "non-integer" eigenvalues of three fermions with angular momentum $I$ around the maximum appear as "non-integer" eigenvalues of four fermions when $I$ is around (or larger than) $J_{\rm max}$ and the Hamiltonian contains only an interaction between pairs of fermions coupled to spin $J=J_{\rm max}=2j-1$. This pattern is also found in five and six fermion systems. A boson system with spin $l$ exhibits a similar pattern.Comment: to be published in Physical Review

Patterns of the ground states in the presence of random interactions: nucleon systems

We present our results on properties of ground states for nucleonic systems in the presence of random two-body interactions. In particular we present probability distributions for parity, seniority, spectroscopic (i.e., in the laboratory framework) quadrupole moments and $\alpha$ clustering in the ground states. We find that the probability distribution for the parity of the ground states obtained by a two-body random ensemble simulates that of realistic nuclei: positive parity is dominant in the ground states of even-even nuclei while for odd-odd nuclei and odd-mass nuclei we obtain with almost equal probability ground states with positive and negative parity. In addition we find that for the ground states, assuming pure random interactions, low seniority is not favored, no dominance of positive values of spectroscopic quadrupole deformation, and no sign of $\alpha$-cluster correlations, all in sharp contrast to realistic nuclei. Considering a mixture of a random and a realistic interaction, we observe a second order phase transition for the $\alpha$-cluster correlation probability.Comment: 7 page

Boson mappings and four-particle correlations in algebraic neutron-proton pairing models

Neutron-proton pairing correlations are studied within the context of two solvable models, one based on the algebra SO(5) and the other on the algebra SO(8). Boson-mapping techniques are applied to these models and shown to provide a convenient methodological tool both for solving such problems and for gaining useful insight into general features of pairing. We first focus on the SO(5) model, which involves generalized T=1 pairing. Neither boson mean-field methods nor fermion-pair approximations are able to describe in detail neutron-proton pairing in this model. The analysis suggests, however, that the boson Hamiltonian obtained from a mapping of the fermion Hamiltonian contains a pairing force between bosons, pointing to the importance of boson-boson (or equivalently four-fermion) correlations with isospin T=0 and spin S=0. These correlations are investigated by carrying out a second boson mapping. Closed forms for the fermion wave functions are given in terms of the fermion-pair operators. Similar techniques are applied -- albeit in less detail -- to the SO(8) model, involving a competition between T=1 and T=0 pairing. Conclusions similar to those of the SO(5) analysis are reached regarding the importance of four-particle correlations in systems involving neutron-proton pairing.Comment: 31 pages, Latex, 3 Postscript figures, uses epsf.sty, submitted to Physical Review

Search for New Physics with Jets and Missing Transverse Momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for new physics is presented based on an event signature of at least three jets accompanied by large missing transverse momentum, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns collected in proton--proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. No excess of events is observed above the expected standard model backgrounds, which are all estimated from the data. Exclusion limits are presented for the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model. Cross section limits are also presented using simplified models with new particles decaying to an undetected particle and one or two jets

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE

Combined search for the quarks of a sequential fourth generation

Results are presented from a search for a fourth generation of quarks produced singly or in pairs in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 inverse femtobarns recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2011. A novel strategy has been developed for a combined search for quarks of the up and down type in decay channels with at least one isolated muon or electron. Limits on the mass of the fourth-generation quarks and the relevant Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements are derived in the context of a simple extension of the standard model with a sequential fourth generation of fermions. The existence of mass-degenerate fourth-generation quarks with masses below 685 GeV is excluded at 95% confidence level for minimal off-diagonal mixing between the third- and the fourth-generation quarks. With a mass difference of 25 GeV between the quark masses, the obtained limit on the masses of the fourth-generation quarks shifts by about +/- 20 GeV. These results significantly reduce the allowed parameter space for a fourth generation of fermions.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Measurement of the t t-bar production cross section in the dilepton channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The t t-bar production cross section (sigma[t t-bar]) is measured in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV in data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 inverse femtobarns. The measurement is performed in events with two leptons (electrons or muons) in the final state, at least two jets identified as jets originating from b quarks, and the presence of an imbalance in transverse momentum. The measured value of sigma[t t-bar] for a top-quark mass of 172.5 GeV is 161.9 +/- 2.5 (stat.) +5.1/-5.0 (syst.) +/- 3.6(lumi.) pb, consistent with the prediction of the standard model.Comment: Replaced with published version. Included journal reference and DO

Search for anomalous t t-bar production in the highly-boosted all-hadronic final state

A search is presented for a massive particle, generically referred to as a Z', decaying into a t t-bar pair. The search focuses on Z' resonances that are sufficiently massive to produce highly Lorentz-boosted top quarks, which yield collimated decay products that are partially or fully merged into single jets. The analysis uses new methods to analyze jet substructure, providing suppression of the non-top multijet backgrounds. The analysis is based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 inverse femtobarns. Upper limits in the range of 1 pb are set on the product of the production cross section and branching fraction for a topcolor Z' modeled for several widths, as well as for a Randall--Sundrum Kaluza--Klein gluon. In addition, the results constrain any enhancement in t t-bar production beyond expectations of the standard model for t t-bar invariant masses larger than 1 TeV.Comment: Submitted to the Journal of High Energy Physics; this version includes a minor typo correction that will be submitted as an erratu