21,567 research outputs found

    Determination of Strong-Interaction Widths and Shifts of Pionic X-Rays with a Crystal Spectrometer

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    Pionic 3d-2p atomic transitions in F, Na, and Mg have been studied using a bent crystal spectrometer. The pionic atoms were formed in the production target placed in the external proton beam of the Space Radiation Effects Laboratory synchrocyclotron. The observed energies and widths of the transitions are E=41679(3) eV and Γ=21(8) eV, E=62434(18) eV and Γ=22(80) eV, E=74389(9) eV and Γ=67(35) eV, in F, Na, and Mg, respectively. The results are compared with calculations based on a pion-nucleus optical potential

    A nonlinear detection algorithm for periodic signals in gravitational wave detectors

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    We present an algorithm for the detection of periodic sources of gravitational waves with interferometric detectors that is based on a special symmetry of the problem: the contributions to the phase modulation of the signal from the earth rotation are exactly equal and opposite at any two instants of time separated by half a sidereal day; the corresponding is true for the contributions from the earth orbital motion for half a sidereal year, assuming a circular orbit. The addition of phases through multiplications of the shifted time series gives a demodulated signal; specific attention is given to the reduction of noise mixing resulting from these multiplications. We discuss the statistics of this algorithm for all-sky searches (which include a parameterization of the source spin-down), in particular its optimal sensitivity as a function of required computational power. Two specific examples of all-sky searches (broad-band and narrow-band) are explored numerically, and their performances are compared with the stack-slide technique (P. R. Brady, T. Creighton, Phys. Rev. D, 61, 082001).Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

    Fast Evaluation of Feynman Diagrams

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    We develop a new representation for the integrals associated with Feynman diagrams. This leads directly to a novel method for the numerical evaluation of these integrals, which avoids the use of Monte Carlo techniques. Our approach is based on based on the theory of generalized sinc (sin(x)/x\sin(x)/x) functions, from which we derive an approximation to the propagator that is expressed as an infinite sum. When the propagators in the Feynman integrals are replaced with the approximate form all integrals over internal momenta and vertices are converted into Gaussians, which can be evaluated analytically. Performing the Gaussians yields a multi-dimensional infinite sum which approximates the corresponding Feynman integral. The difference between the exact result and this approximation is set by an adjustable parameter, and can be made arbitrarily small. We discuss the extraction of regularization independent quantities and demonstrate, both in theory and practice, that these sums can be evaluated quickly, even for third or fourth order diagrams. Lastly, we survey strategies for numerically evaluating the multi-dimensional sums. We illustrate the method with specific examples, including the the second order sunset diagram from quartic scalar field theory, and several higher-order diagrams. In this initial paper we focus upon scalar field theories in Euclidean spacetime, but expect that this approach can be generalized to fields with spin.Comment: uses feynmp macros; v2 contains improved description of renormalization, plus other minor change

    The striatal dopamine transporter in first-episode, drug-naive schizophrenic patients: evaluation by the new SPECT-ligand[99mTc]TRODAT-1

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    Following the current hypothesis that acute schizophrenic psychotic illness is associated with a triatal ‘hyperdopaminergic state’, presynaptic integrity and dopamine transporter (DAT) density in first-episode, neuroleptic-naive schizophrenic patients was measured by single-photonemission- tomography (SPECT) and compared with that in healthy control subjects. A new SPECT-ligand for assessment of the striatal DAT, the Technetium-99m-labelled tropane TRODAT-1 ([99mTc]TRODAT-1), was used. Ten inpatients suffering from a first acute schizophrenic episode and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects underwent SPECT with [99mTc]TRODAT-1. On the day of SPECT, psychopathological ratings were performed with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Schedule for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). Patients had not previously received any neuroleptic or antidepressant medication. Mean specific TRODAT-1 binding in the striatum did not differ significantly between the patient and the age- and sex-matched control group (1.25 vs. 1.28). Variance was significantly higher in the patient group. The data obtained with the new ligand in first-episode, drug-naive schizophrenic patients are in line with the PET results from the group of Laakso et al. in a comparable patient sample. [99mTc]TRODAT-1 seems to be a valuable new SPECTligand in the evaluation of the presynaptic site of the striatal dopaminergic synapse in schizophrenia

    Preparation and Characterization of 3 nm Magnetic NiAu Nanoparticles

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    Using PAMAM dendrimers as nanoparticle templates, a synthetic route to prepare 3 nm magnetic NiAu nanoparticles was developed. Aqueous solutions of hydroxyl-terminated generation 5 PAMAM dendrimers in 25 mM NaClO4 were shown to bind aqueous NiII. Coreduction of NiII and AuIII salts yielded bimetallic dendrimer stabilized nanoparticles, which were extracted into toluene with decanethiol. Characterization of the resulting monolayer protected clusters (MPCs) with transmission electron microscopy and UV-visible, atomic absorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies suggested that the MPCs had substantial surface enrichment in Au. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements at 5 K show the bimetallic MPCs to have low coercivity and saturation magnetization relative to bulk Ni. Solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies using the Evans method showed the bimetallic nanoparticles retain magnetic properties at ambient temperatures

    Back-translation for discovering distant protein homologies

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    Frameshift mutations in protein-coding DNA sequences produce a drastic change in the resulting protein sequence, which prevents classic protein alignment methods from revealing the proteins' common origin. Moreover, when a large number of substitutions are additionally involved in the divergence, the homology detection becomes difficult even at the DNA level. To cope with this situation, we propose a novel method to infer distant homology relations of two proteins, that accounts for frameshift and point mutations that may have affected the coding sequences. We design a dynamic programming alignment algorithm over memory-efficient graph representations of the complete set of putative DNA sequences of each protein, with the goal of determining the two putative DNA sequences which have the best scoring alignment under a powerful scoring system designed to reflect the most probable evolutionary process. This allows us to uncover evolutionary information that is not captured by traditional alignment methods, which is confirmed by biologically significant examples.Comment: The 9th International Workshop in Algorithms in Bioinformatics (WABI), Philadelphia : \'Etats-Unis d'Am\'erique (2009

    Groundwater fauna in an urban area: natural or affected?

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    In Germany, 70 % of the drinking water demand is met by groundwater, for which the quality is the product of multiple physical–chemical and biological processes. As healthy groundwater ecosystems help to provide clean drinking water, it is necessary to assess their ecological conditions. This is particularly true for densely populated urban areas, where faunistic groundwater investigations are still scarce. The aim of this study is, therefore, to provide a first assessment of the groundwater fauna in an urban area. Thus, we examine the ecological status of an anthropogenically influenced aquifer by analysing fauna in 39 groundwater monitoring wells in the city of Karlsruhe (Germany). For classification, we apply the groundwater ecosystem status index (GESI), in which a threshold of more than 70 % of crustaceans and less than 20 % of oligochaetes serves as an indication for very good and good ecological conditions. Our study reveals that only 35 % of the wells in the residential, commercial and industrial areas and 50 % of wells in the forested area fulfil these criteria. However, the study did not find clear spatial patterns with respect to land use and other anthropogenic impacts, in particular with respect to groundwater temperature. Nevertheless, there are noticeable differences in the spatial distribution of species in combination with abiotic groundwater characteristics in groundwater of the different areas of the city, which indicate that a more comprehensive assessment is required to evaluate the groundwater ecological status in more detail. In particular, more indicators, such as groundwater temperature, indicator species, delineation of site-specific characteristics and natural reference conditions should be considered

    Dinuclear Tb and Dy complexes supported by hybrid Schiff-base/calixarene ligands: synthesis, structures and magnetic properties

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    The synthesis of the new lanthanide complexes [HNEt3_{3}][Dy2_{2}(HL1^{1})(L1^{1})] (5), and [Ln2_{2}(L2_{2})2_{2}] (Ln = TbIII^{III} (7), DyIII^{III} (8)) supported by the hybrid Schiff-base/calix[4]arene ligands H4_{4}L1^{1} (25-[2-((2-methylphenol)imino)ethoxy]-26,27,28-trihydroxy-calix[4]arene) and H3_{3}L2^{2} (25-[2-((2-methylpyridine)imino)ethoxy]-26,27,28-trihydroxy-calix[4]arene) are reported. Spectroscopic data (for 5) and X-ray crystallographic analysis (for 7·4MeCN, 8·4MeCN) reveal the presence of dimeric structures, featuring doubly-bridged NO4_{4}Ln(μ-O)2_{2}LnO4_{4}N (5) or N2_{2}O3_{3}Ln(μ-O)2_{2}LnO3_{3}N2_{2} cores (7, 8) with seven-coordinated Ln3+^{3+} ions. The magnetic properties of polycrystalline samples of 5, 7 and 8 were studied by variable temperature dc and ac magnetic susceptibility measurements. The χ′′(T) vs. T plots show no maxima in zero field, but the maxima can be detected under a 3 kOe dc field. The relaxation times τ obey the Arrhenius law above 5 K. Anisotropy barriers of ∼18 cm1^{-1} (26 K) for 5 and ∼23 cm1^{-1} (33 K) for 8 were determined
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