Cosmological neutrinos

The current status of neutrino cosmology is reviewed, from the question of neutrino decoupling and the presence of sterile neutrinos to the effects of neutrinos on the cosmic microwave background and large scale structure. Particular emphasis is put on cosmological neutrino mass measurements.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures, review for NJP focus issue on neutrino

Structure formation with strongly interacting neutrinos - implications for the cosmological neutrino mass bound

We investigate a model where neutrinos are strongly coupled to a new, light scalar field. In this model neutrinos annihilate as soon as they become non-relativistic in the early universe, and a non-zero neutrino mass has a marginal effect on the matter power spectrum. However, the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is changed significantly because the strongly interacting fluid of neutrinos and scalars does not experience any anisotropic stress. Such models are strongly disfavoured by current observations. Interestingly, this leads to the conclusion that the relativistic energy density around the epoch of recombination must be in the form of very weakly interacting particles. This conclusion is independent of the specific interaction model.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, minor changes, matches JCAP versio

Novel Alternative in High Performance Clear Coats: Molecular Composites Utilizing Arylsilane Aramids

Novel arylsilane diacids were synthesized and polymerized to yield rigid yet soluble aramids. The aramids were incorporated into an elastomeric epoxy/Jeffamine(R) coating to yield soluble polymers which are easily cast into clear films with exceptional physical properties. For instance, when films are cast from the elastomeric epoxy control and compared to silicon containing composites, the composites exhibited tensile strenght increases of more than six fold, hardness increases from 2H to 8H, and although elongation decreases of 50 fold were noted, film adhesion was excellent as no failures occurred even under a direct impact of 18.1 + J