199 research outputs found
Single-top t-channel hadroproduction in the four-flavour scheme with POWHEG and aMC@NLO
We present results for the QCD next-to-leading order (NLO) calculation of
single-top t-channel production in the 4-flavour scheme, interfaced to Parton
Shower (PS) Monte Carlo programs according to the POWHEG and MC@NLO methods.
Comparisons between the two methods, as well as with the corresponding process
in the 5-flavour scheme are presented. For the first time results for typical
kinematic distributions of the spectator-b jet are presented in an NLO+PS
approach.Comment: 16+1 pages, 8 figures, matches version accepted for publication in
JHE
Determination of the s‐phase formation coefficient of plasma nitrided austenitic steel
Plasma nitriding is an effective surface hardening treatment for austenitic stainless steels. During plasma nitriding, s‐phase formation takes place which is not only responsible for high hardness and wear resistance but also for good corrosion resistance. In order to estimate the thickness of the s‐phase for austenitic stainless steel in a plasma nitriding process, an empirical model is devised. A number of plasma nitriding processes of austenitic stainless steel (304 L) were carried out with varying treatment temperature from 360 °C to 450 °C and process duration ranging from 10 hours to 24 hours with constant pressure, voltage, pulse‐to‐pause‐ratio and gas mixture. A time‐temperature dependent s‐phase formation coefficient is determined by measuring the thickness of the s‐phase using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). The developed model is verified by three controlled experiments. This model fits the thickness of the s‐phase with an error of less than 6 %
W+W-, WZ and ZZ production in the POWHEG BOX
We present an implementation of the vector boson pair production processes
ZZ, W+W- and W Z within the POWHEG framework, which is a method that allows the
interfacing of NLO calculations to shower Monte Carlo programs. The
implementation is built within the POWHEG BOX package. The Z/\gamma^*
interference, as well as singly resonant contributions, are properly included.
We also considered interference terms arising from identical leptons in the
final state. As a result, all contributions leading to the desired four-lepton
system have been included in the calculation, with the sole exception of the
interference between ZZ and W+W- in the production of a pair of same-flavour,
oppositely charged fermions and a pair of neutrinos, which we show to be fully
negligible. Anomalous trilinear couplings can be also set in the program, and
we give some examples of their effect at the LHC. We have made the relevant
code available at the POWHEG BOX web site.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables. Minor corrections and updated
references in revised versio
Top Quark Physics at the LHC: A Review of the First Two Years
This review summarizes the highlights in the area of top quark physics
obtained with the two general purpose detectors ATLAS and CMS during the first
two years of operation of the Large Hadron Collider LHC. It covers the 2010 and
2011 data taking periods, where the LHC provided pp collisions at a
center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s)=7 TeV. Measurements are presented of the total
and differential top quark pair production cross section in many different
channels, the top quark mass and various other properties of the top quark and
its interactions, for instance the charge asymmetry. Measurements of single top
quark production and various searches for new physics involving top quarks are
also discussed. The already very precise experimental data are in good
agreement with the standard model.Comment: 107 pages, invited review for Int. J. Mod. Phys. A, v2 is identical
to v1 except for the addition of the table of content
MadGraph/MadEvent v4: The New Web Generation
We present the latest developments of the MadGraph/MadEvent Monte Carlo event
generator and several applications to hadron collider physics. In the current
version events at the parton, hadron and detector level can be generated
directly from a web interface, for arbitrary processes in the Standard Model
and in several physics scenarios beyond it (HEFT, MSSM, 2HDM). The most
important additions are: a new framework for implementing user-defined new
physics models; a standalone running mode for creating and testing matrix
elements; generation of events corresponding to different processes, such as
signal(s) and backgrounds, in the same run; two platforms for data analysis,
where events are accessible at the parton, hadron and detector level; and the
generation of inclusive multi-jet samples by combining parton-level events with
parton showers. To illustrate the new capabilities of the package some
applications to hadron collider physics are presented:
1) Higgs search in pp \to H \to W^+W^-: signal and backgrounds.
2) Higgs CP properties: pp \to H jj$in the HEFT.
3) Spin of a new resonance from lepton angular distributions.
4) Single-top and Higgs associated production in a generic 2HDM.
5) Comparison of strong SUSY pair production at the SPS points.
6) Inclusive W+jets matched samples: comparison with the Tevatron data.Comment: 38 pages, 15 figure
Scaling Patterns for QCD Jets
Jet emission at hadron colliders follows simple scaling patterns. Based on
perturbative QCD we derive Poisson and staircase scaling for final state as
well as initial state radiation. Parton density effects enhance staircase
scaling at low multiplicities. We propose experimental tests of our theoretical
findings in Z+jets and QCD gap jets production based on minor additions to
current LHC analyses.Comment: 36 pages, 16 figure
Rare brain biopsy findings in a first ADEM-like event of pediatric MS: histopathologic, neuroradiologic and clinical features
Pediatric MS tends to present more often with an acute onset and a polysymptomatic form of the disease, possibly with encephalopathy and large tumefactive lesions similar to those observed in some cases of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), which makes it more difficult to differentiate between an explosive and severe onset of MS vs. ADEM. An ADEM-like first demyelinating event can be the first attack of pediatric MS, but international consensus definitions require two or more non-ADEM demyelinating events for diagnosis of MS. In our patient KIDMUS MRI criteria for MS (Mikaeloff et al. J Pediatr 144:246–252, 2004a; Mikaeloff et al. Brain 127:1942–1947, 2004b) were negative at first attack, but Barkhof criteria for lesion dissemination in space in adults (Barkhof et al. 120:2059–2069, 1997), Callen modified MS-criteria and Callen MS-ADEM criteria for children (Callen et al. Neurology 72:961–967, 2009a; Callen et al. Neurology 72:968–973, 2009b) were positive suggesting pediatric MS. As the clinical course was devastating with non-responsiveness upon high-dose immune modulatory therapy and due to the absence of an alternative diagnosis other than demyelinating disease brain biopsy was performed. Brain biopsy studies or autopsy case reports of fulminant pediatric MS patients are extremely rare. Histopathology revealed an inflammatory demyelinating CNS process with confluent demyelination, indicating the likelihood of a relapsing disease course compatible with an acute to subacute demyelinating inflammatory disease. This pattern was corresponding to the early active multiple sclerosis subtype I of Lucchinetti et al. (Ann Neurol 47(6):707–717, 2000)
Distortion in a 7xxx aluminum alloy during liquid phase sintering
The distortion in a sintered 7xxx aluminum alloy, Al-7Zn-2.5Mg-1Cu (wt. pct), has been investigated by sintering three rectangular bars in each batch at 893 K (620 °C) for 0 to 40 minutes in nitrogen, followed by air or furnace cooling. They were placed parallel to each other, equally spaced apart at 2 mm, with their long axes being perpendicular to the incoming nitrogen flow. Pore evolution in each sample during isothermal sintering was examined metallographically. The compositional changes across sample mid-cross section and surface layers were analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling, respectively. The two outer samples bent toward the middle one, while the middle sample was essentially distortion free after sintering. The distortion in the outer samples was a result of differential shrinkage between their outer and inner surfaces during isothermal sintering. The porous outer surface showed an enrichment of oxygen around the large pores as well as lower magnesium and zinc contents than the interior and inner surface of the same sample, while the inner surface was distinguished by the presence of AlN. The differential shrinkage was caused by different oxygen contents in local sintering atmosphere and unbalanced loss of magnesium and zinc between the outer and inner surfaces
Axonal inclusions in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3
Protein aggregation is a major pathological hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders including polyglutamine diseases. Aggregation of the mutated form of the disease protein ataxin-3 into neuronal nuclear inclusions is well described in the polyglutamine disorder spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3 or Machado–Joseph disease), although these inclusions are not thought to be directly pathogenic. Neuropil aggregates have not yet been described in SCA3. We performed a systematic immunohistochemical study of serial thick sections through brains of seven clinically diagnosed and genetically confirmed SCA3 patients. Using antibodies against ataxin-3, p62, ubiquitin, the polyglutamine marker 1C2 as well as TDP-43, we analyzed neuronal localization, composition and distribution of aggregates within SCA3 brains. The analysis revealed widespread axonal aggregates in fiber tracts known to undergo neurodegeneration in SCA3. Similar to neuronal nuclear inclusions, the axonal aggregates were ubiquitinated and immunopositive for the proteasome and autophagy associated shuttle protein p62, indicating involvement of neuronal protein quality control mechanisms. Rare TDP-43 positive axonal inclusions were also observed. Based on the correlation between affected fiber tracts and degenerating neuronal nuclei, we hypothesize that these novel axonal inclusions may be detrimental to axonal transport mechanisms and thereby contribute to degeneration of nerve cells in SCA3
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