139 research outputs found
Plasma formation from ultracold Rydberg gases
Recent experiments have demonstrated the spontaneous evolution of a gas of
ultracold Rydberg atoms into an expanding ultracold plasma, as well as the
reverse process of plasma recombination into highly excited atomic states.
Treating the evolution of the plasma on the basis of kinetic equations, while
ionization/excitation and recombination are incorporated using rate equations,
we have investigated theoretically the Rydberg-to-plasma transition. Including
the influence of spatial correlations on the plasma dynamics in an approximate
way we find that ionic correlations change the results only quantitatively but
not qualitatively
Two-Boson Exchange Physics: A Brief Review
Current status of the two-boson exchange contributions to elastic
electron-proton scattering, both for parity conserving and parity-violating, is
briefly reviewed. How the discrepancy in the extraction of elastic nucleon form
factors between unpolarized Rosenbluth and polarization transfer experiments
can be understood, in large part, by the two-photon exchange corrections is
discussed. We also illustrate how the measurement of the ratio between
positron-proton and electron-proton scattering can be used to differentiate
different models of two-photon exchange. For the parity-violating
electron-proton scattering, the interest is on how the two-boson exchange
(TBE), \gamma Z-exchange in particular, could affect the extraction of the
long-sought strangeness form factors. Various calculations all indicate that
the magnitudes of effect of TBE on the extraction of strangeness form factors
is small, though can be large percentage-wise in certain kinematics.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, prepared for Proceedings of the fifth
Asia-Pacific Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics (APFB2011), Seoul,
Korea, August 22-26, 2011, to appear in Few-Body Systems, November 201
Application of Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis to Determine Îł-ray-induced Double-strand Breaks in Yeast Chromosomal Molecules
The frequency of DNA double-strand breaks (dsb) was determined in yeast cells exposed to Îł-rays under anoxic conditions. Genomic DNA of treated cells was separated by pulsed field gel electrophoresis, and two different approaches for the evaluation of the gels were employed: (1) The DNA mass distribution profile obtained by electrophoresis was compared to computed profiles, and the number of DSB per unit length was then derived in terms of a fitting procedure; (2) hybridization of selected chromosomes was performed, and a comparison of the hybridization signals in treated and untreated samples was then used to derive the frequency of dsb
Comparing Implicit, Differential, Dimensional and BPHZ Renormalisation
We compare a momentum space implicit regularisation (IR) framework with other
renormalisation methods which may be applied to dimension specific theories,
namely Differential Renormalisation (DfR) and the BPHZ formalism. In
particular, we define what is meant by minimal subtraction in IR in connection
with DfR and dimensional renormalisation (DR) .We illustrate with the
calculation of the gluon self energy a procedure by which a constrained version
of IR automatically ensures gauge invariance at one loop level and handles
infrared divergences in a straightforward fashion. Moreover, using the
theory setting sun diagram as an example and comparing explicitly
with the BPHZ framework, we show that IR directly displays the finite part of
the amplitudes. We then construct a parametrization for the ambiguity in
separating the infinite and finite parts whose parameter serves as
renormalisation group scale for the Callan-Symanzik equation. Finally we argue
that constrained IR, constrained DfR and dimensional reduction are equivalent
within one loop order.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures, late
Precision Measurement of the p(e,e ' p)pi(0) Reaction at Threshold
New results are reported from a measurement of electroproduction near
threshold using the reaction. The experiment was
designed to determine precisely the energy dependence of and wave
electromagnetic multipoles as a stringent test of the predictions of Chiral
Perturbation Theory (ChPT). The data were taken with an electron beam energy of
1192 MeV using a two-spectrometer setup in Hall A at Jefferson Lab. For the
first time, complete coverage of the and angles
in the center-of-mass was obtained for invariant energies above
threshold from 0.5 MeV up to 15 MeV. The 4-momentum transfer coverage
ranges from 0.05 to 0.155 (GeV/c) in fine steps. A simple phenomenological
analysis of our data shows strong disagreement with wave predictions from
ChPT for (GeV/c), while the wave predictions are in
reasonable agreement.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure
Human health and ocean pollution
Background: Pollution â unwanted waste released to air, water, and land by human activity â is the largest environmental cause of disease in the world today. It is responsible for an estimated nine million premature deaths per year, enormous economic losses, erosion of human capital, and degradation of ecosystems. Ocean pollution is an important, but insufficiently recognized and inadequately controlled component of global pollution. It poses serious threats to human health and well-being. The nature and magnitude of these impacts are only beginning to be understood. Goals: (1) Broadly examine the known and potential impacts of ocean pollution on human health. (2) Inform policy makers, government leaders, international organizations, civil society, and the global public of these threats. (3) Propose priorities for interventions to control and prevent pollution of the seas and safeguard human health. Methods: Topic-focused reviews that examine the effects of ocean pollution on human health, identify gaps in knowledge, project future trends, and offer evidence-based guidance for effective intervention. Environmental Findings: Pollution of the oceans is widespread, worsening, and in most countries poorly controlled. It is a complex mixture of toxic metals, plastics, manufactured chemicals, petroleum, urban and industrial wastes, pesticides, fertilizers, pharmaceutical chemicals, agricultural runoff, and sewage. More than 80% arises from land-based sources. It reaches the oceans through rivers, runoff, atmospheric deposition and direct discharges. It is often heaviest near the coasts and most highly concentrated along the coasts of low- and middle-income countries. Plastic is a rapidly increasing and highly visible component of ocean pollution, and an estimated 10 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the seas each year. Mercury is the metal pollutant of greatest concern in the oceans; it is released from two main sources â coal combustion and small-scale gold mining. Global spread of industrialized agriculture with increasing use of chemical fertilizer leads to extension of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) to previously unaffected regions. Chemical pollutants are ubiquitous and contaminate seas and marine organisms from the high Arctic to the abyssal depths. Ecosystem Findings: Ocean pollution has multiple negative impacts on marine ecosystems, and these impacts are exacerbated by global climate change. Petroleum-based pollutants reduce photosynthesis in marine microorganisms that generate oxygen. Increasing absorption of carbon dioxide into the seas causes ocean acidification, which destroys coral reefs, impairs shellfish development, dissolves calcium-containing microorganisms at the base of the marine food web, and increases the toxicity of some pollutants. Plastic pollution threatens marine mammals, fish, and seabirds and accumulates in large mid-ocean gyres. It breaks down into microplastic and nanoplastic particles containing multiple manufactured chemicals that can enter the tissues of marine organisms, including species consumed by humans. Industrial releases, runoff, and sewage increase frequency and severity of HABs, bacterial pollution, and anti-microbial resistance. Pollution and sea surface warming are triggering poleward migration of dangerous pathogens such as the Vibrio species. Industrial discharges, pharmaceutical wastes, pesticides, and sewage contribute to global declines in fish stocks. Human Health Findings: Methylmercury and PCBs are the ocean pollutants whose human health effects are best understood. Exposures of infants in utero to these pollutants through maternal consumption of contaminated seafood can damage developing brains, reduce IQ and increase childrenâs risks for autism, ADHD and learning disorders. Adult exposures to methylmercury increase risks for cardiovascular disease and dementia. Manufactured chemicals â phthalates, bisphenol A, flame retardants, and perfluorinated chemicals, many of them released into the seas from plastic waste â can disrupt endocrine signaling, reduce male fertility, damage the nervous system, and increase risk of cancer. HABs produce potent toxins that accumulate in fish and shellfish. When ingested, these toxins can cause severe neurological impairment and rapid death. HAB toxins can also become airborne and cause respiratory disease. Pathogenic marine bacteria cause gastrointestinal diseases and deep wound infections. With climate change and increasing pollution, risk is high that Vibrio infections, including cholera, will increase in frequency and extend to new areas. All of the health impacts of ocean pollution fall disproportionately on vulnerable populations in the Global South â environmental injustice on a planetary scale. Conclusions: Ocean pollution is a global problem. It arises from multiple sources and crosses national boundaries. It is the consequence of reckless, shortsighted, and unsustainable exploitation of the earthâs resources. It endangers marine ecosystems. It impedes the production of atmospheric oxygen. Its threats to human health are great and growing, but still incompletely understood. Its economic costs are only beginning to be counted. Ocean pollution can be prevented. Like all forms of pollution, ocean pollution can be controlled by deploying data-driven strategies based on law, policy, technology, and enforcement that target priority pollution sources. Many countries have used these tools to control air and water pollution and are now applying them to ocean pollution. Successes achieved to date demonstrate that broader control is feasible. Heavily polluted harbors have been cleaned, estuaries rejuvenated, and coral reefs restored. Prevention of ocean pollution creates many benefits. It boosts economies, increases tourism, helps restore fisheries, and improves human health and well-being. It advances the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). These benefits will last for centuries. Recommendations: World leaders who recognize the gravity of ocean pollution, acknowledge its growing dangers, engage civil society and the global public, and take bold, evidence-based action to stop pollution at source will be critical to preventing ocean pollution and safeguarding human health. Prevention of pollution from land-based sources is key. Eliminating coal combustion and banning all uses of mercury will reduce mercury pollution. Bans on single-use plastic and better management of plastic waste reduce plastic pollution. Bans on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have reduced pollution by PCBs and DDT. Control of industrial discharges, treatment of sewage, and reduced applications of fertilizers have mitigated coastal pollution and are reducing frequency of HABs. National, regional and international marine pollution control programs that are adequately funded and backed by strong enforcement have been shown to be effective. Robust monitoring is essential to track progress. Further interventions that hold great promise include wide-scale transition to renewable fuels; transition to a circular economy that creates little waste and focuses on equity rather than on endless growth; embracing the principles of green chemistry; and building scientific capacity in all countries. Designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will safeguard critical ecosystems, protect vulnerable fish stocks, and enhance human health and well-being. Creation of MPAs is an important manifestation of national and international commitment to protecting the health of the seas
Volume I. Introduction to DUNE
The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early universe, the dynamics of the supernovae that produced the heavy elements necessary for life, and whether protons eventually decayâthese mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our universe, its current state, and its eventual fate. The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is an international world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions as it searches for leptonic charge-parity symmetry violation, stands ready to capture supernova neutrino bursts, and seeks to observe nucleon decay as a signature of a grand unified theory underlying the standard model. The DUNE far detector technical design report (TDR) describes the DUNE physics program and the technical designs of the single- and dual-phase DUNE liquid argon TPC far detector modules. This TDR is intended to justify the technical choices for the far detector that flow down from the high-level physics goals through requirements at all levels of the Project. Volume I contains an executive summary that introduces the DUNE science program, the far detector and the strategy for its modular designs, and the organization and management of the Project. The remainder of Volume I provides more detail on the science program that drives the choice of detector technologies and on the technologies themselves. It also introduces the designs for the DUNE near detector and the DUNE computing model, for which DUNE is planning design reports. Volume II of this TDR describes DUNE\u27s physics program in detail. Volume III describes the technical coordination required for the far detector design, construction, installation, and integration, and its organizational structure. Volume IV describes the single-phase far detector technology. A planned Volume V will describe the dual-phase technology
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