491 research outputs found
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Prospects for HERMES-spin structure studies at HERA
HERMES (HERA Measurement of Spin), is a second generation experiment to study the spin structure of the nucleon by using polarized internal gas targets in the HERA 35-GeV electron storage ring. Scattered electrons and coincident hadrons will be detected in an open geometry spectrometer which will include particle identification. Measurements are planned for each of the inclusive structure functions, g{sub 1},(x), g{sub 2}(x), b{sub 1}(x) and A(x), as well as the study of semi-inclusive pion and kaon asymmetries. Targets of hydrogen, deuterium and {sup 3}He will be studied. The accuracy of data for the inclusive structure functions will equal or exceed that of current experiments. The semi-inclusive asymmetries will provide a unique and sensitive probe of the flavor dependence of quark helicity distributions and properties of the quark sea. Monte Carlo simulations of HERMES data for experiment asymmetries and polarized structure functions are discussed
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Nucleon spin structure functions from HERMES: The first year
HERMES, {und HE}RA {und Me}asurement of {und S}pin, is a second generation exper to study the spin structure of the nucleon by using polarized internal gas targets in the HERA 28 GeV electron storage ring. Scattered positrons and coincident hadrons are detected in an open geometry spectrometer which includes particle identification. Inclusive data with polarized {sup 3}He give the spin structure function {ital g{sup n}{sub 1}(x)} and the Ellis-Jaffe integral RR{Lambda} = {integral}{sub 0}{sup 1} {ital g{sup n}{sub 1}(x)dx} for the neutron. The semi-inclusive spin asymmetries are a unique and sensitive probe of the flavor dependence of quark helicity distributions and properties of the quark sea. Data taken in 1995 with unpolarized hydrogen and deuterium targets provide measurements of the flavor distributions of sea and valence quarks. In a preliminary analysis, {Lambda}{sup {ital n}}{sub 1} = -0.032{+-}0. 013{sub {ital stat.}} {+-} O.017{sub {ital syst.}} is obtained at Q{sup 2} = 3(GeV/c){sup 2} for the Ellis-Jaffe integral
Advances in the proposed electromagnetic zero-point field theory of inertia
A NASA-funded research effort has been underway at the Lockheed Martin
Advanced Technology Center in Palo Alto and at California State University in
Long Beach to develop and test a recently published theory that Newton's
equation of motion can be derived from Maxwell's equations of electrodynamics
as applied to the zero-point field (ZPF) of the quantum vacuum. In this
ZPF-inertia theory, mass is postulated to be not an intrinsic property of
matter but rather a kind of electromagnetic drag force that proves to be
acceleration dependent by virtue of the spectral characteristics of the ZPF.
The theory proposes that interactions between the ZPF and matter take place at
the level of quarks and electrons, hence would account for the mass of a
composite neutral particle such as the neutron. An effort to generalize the
exploratory study of Haisch, Rueda and Puthoff (1994) into a proper
relativistic formulation has been successful. Moreover the principle of
equivalence implies that in this view gravitation would also be electromagnetic
in origin along the lines proposed by Sakharov (1968). With regard to exotic
propulsion we can definitively rule out one speculatively hypothesized
mechanism: matter possessing negative inertial mass, a concept originated by
Bondi (1957) is shown to be logically impossible. On the other hand, the linked
ZPF-inertia and ZPF-gravity concepts open the conceptual possibility of
manipulation of inertia and gravitation, since both are postulated to be
electromagnetic phenomena. It is hoped that this will someday translate into
actual technological potential. A key question is whether the proposed
ZPF-matter interactions generating the phenomenon of mass might involve one or
more resonances. This is presently under investigation.Comment: Revised version of invited presentation at 34th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE
Joint Propulsion Conference, July 13-15, 1998, Cleveland, OH, 10 pages, no
figure
The role of Sox6 in zebrafish muscle fiber type specification
Background
The transcription factor Sox6 has been implicated in regulating muscle fiber type-specific gene expression in mammals. In zebrafish, loss of function of the transcription factor Prdm1a results in a slow to fast-twitch fiber type transformation presaged by ectopic expression of sox6 in slow-twitch progenitors. Morpholino-mediated Sox6 knockdown can suppress this transformation but causes ectopic expression of only one of three slow-twitch specific genes assayed. Here, we use gain and loss of function analysis to analyse further the role of Sox6 in zebrafish muscle fiber type specification.
Methods
The GAL4 binary misexpression system was used to express Sox6 ectopically in zebrafish embryos. Cis-regulatory elements were characterized using transgenic fish. Zinc finger nuclease mediated targeted mutagenesis was used to analyse the effects of loss of Sox6 function in embryonic, larval and adult zebrafish. Zebrafish transgenic for the GCaMP3 Calcium reporter were used to assay Ca2+ transients in wild-type and mutant muscle fibres.
Results
Ectopic Sox6 expression is sufficient to downregulate slow-twitch specific gene expression in zebrafish embryos. Cis-regulatory elements upstream of the slow myosin heavy chain 1 (smyhc1) and slow troponin c (tnnc1b) genes contain putative Sox6 binding sites required for repression of the former but not the latter. Embryos homozygous for sox6 null alleles expressed tnnc1b throughout the fast-twitch muscle whereas other slow-specific muscle genes, including smyhc1, were expressed ectopically in only a subset of fast-twitch fibers. Ca2+ transients in sox6 mutant fast-twitch fibers were intermediate in their speed and amplitude between those of wild-type slow- and fast-twitch fibers. sox6 homozygotes survived to adulthood and exhibited continued misexpression of tnnc1b as well as smaller slow-twitch fibers. They also exhibited a striking curvature of the spine.
Conclusions
The Sox6 transcription factor is a key regulator of fast-twitch muscle fiber differentiation in the zebrafish, a role similar to that ascribed to its murine ortholog
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Design objectives for a GeV C. W. electron accelerator
Design objectives are proposed for a continuous beam 2 GeV electron accelerator. Various accelerator concepts are examined in light of these requirements. A double-sided microtron shows promise for yielding major savings in capital cost and excellent beam characteristics
Can the polarization of the strange quarks in the proton be positive ?
Recently, the HERMES Collaboration at DESY, using a leading order QCD
analysis of their data on semi-inclusive deep inelastic production of charged
hadrons, reported a marginally positive polarization for the strange quarks in
the proton. We argue that a non-negative polarization is almost impossible.Comment: 6 pages, latex, minor changes in the discussion after Eq. (9
Transverse Momentum in Semi-Inclusive Polarized Deep Inelastic Scattering and the Spin-Flavor Structure of the Proton
The non-valence spin-flavor structure of the nucleon extracted from
semi-inclusive measurements of polarized deep inelastic scattering depends
strongly on the transverse momentum of the detected hadrons which are used to
determine the individual polarized sea distributions. This physics may explain
the recent HERMES observation of a positively polarized strange sea through
semi-inclusive scattering, in contrast to the negative strange sea polarization
deduced from inclusive polarized deep inelastic scattering.Comment: 4 pages, revtex style, 2 figure
Universally Coupled Massive Gravity, II: Densitized Tetrad and Cotetrad Theories
Einstein's equations in a tetrad formulation are derived from a linear theory
in flat spacetime with an asymmetric potential using free field gauge
invariance, local Lorentz invariance and universal coupling. The gravitational
potential can be either covariant or contravariant and of almost any density
weight. These results are adapted to produce universally coupled massive
variants of Einstein's equations, yielding two one-parameter families of
distinct theories with spin 2 and spin 0. The theories derived, upon fixing the
local Lorentz gauge freedom, are seen to be a subset of those found by
Ogievetsky and Polubarinov some time ago using a spin limitation principle. In
view of the stability question for massive gravities, the proven non-necessity
of positive energy for stability in applied mathematics in some contexts is
recalled. Massive tetrad gravities permit the mass of the spin 0 to be heavier
than that of the spin 2, as well as lighter than or equal to it, and so provide
phenomenological flexibility that might be of astrophysical or cosmological
use.Comment: 2 figures. Forthcoming in General Relativity and Gravitatio
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