Structure Functions and the Spin of the Nucleon: From HERMES to COMPASS

The HERMES and SMC experiments have determined the contribution of different quark flavors to the nucleon spin in a large range of Bjorken-x via semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering. The main goal of the COMPASS experiment is to measure the gluon polarization in the nucleon. In all experiments a polarized lepton is scattered off a polarized nucleon. Latest results from HERMES and perspectives for COMPASS running in 2001 and beyond are presented.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Contribution to the XXXVIth Rencontres de Moriond - "QCD and High Energy Hadronic Interactions" - Les Arcs (Fr), March 17-24, 200

The Micromegas detector of the CAST experiment

A low background Micromegas detector has been operating in the CAST experiment at CERN for the search of solar axions during the first phase of the experiment (2002-2004). The detector, made out of low radioactivity materials, operated efficiently and achieved a very low level of background rejection (5 x 10^-5 counts/keV/cm^2/s) without shielding.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures and images, submitted to New Journal o

Performances of peace: Utrecht 1713

The Peace of Utrecht (1713), which brought an end to the War of the Spanish Succession, was a milestone in global history. Performances of Peace aims to rethink the significance of the Peace of Utrecht by exploring the nexus between culture and politics. For too long, cultural and political historians have studied early modern international relations in isolation. By studying the political as well as the cultural aspects of this peace (and its concomitant paradoxes) from a broader perspective, this volume aims to shed new light on the relation between diplomacy and performative culture in the public spher

Notes on the text of Ovid's Metamorphoses

Las corrupciones en el texto de las Metamorfosis de Ovidio son más frecuentes que lo que han sospechado los editores recientes de la obra. Ellos (los editores) dependen en exceso de un reducido grupo de valiosos testigos en vez de seguir del ejemplo de Heinsius y Burman. Deberían haber consultado un mayor número de testigos y recurrido en más ocasiones a la emendatio ope ingenii. Queda por hacer mucho trabajo, como lo demuestra la observación crítica de treinta y un pasajes. A veces sólo se necesita una puntuación diferente; a menudo la solución de un problema fue encontrada hace mucho tiempo y después fue olvidada; en algunos pocos casos se ofrecen nuevas conjeturas. Se identifica algunas fuentes típicas de corrupción del texto.The corruptions in Ovid’s Metamorphoses are more usual than the thought of the last editors of the work. They (the editors) depend, in excess, on a limited group of valuable witnesses, rather than following Hensius and Burman’s example. They must have consulted a great number of witnesses, and they must have turned to the emendatio ope ingenii. There is still a long way to go, as we can see in the critical inspection of the thirty one passages. Sometimes, a different punctuation is needed; sometimes, the solution of a problem was found a long time ago, and then it was forgotten. In some cases, new speculations are offered. Some typical sources of the corruption of the text are found

Axionlike-particle generation by laser-plasma interaction

Axion, a hypothetical particle that is crucial to quantum chromodynamics and dark matter theory, has not yet been found in any experiment. With the improvement of laser technique, much stronger quasi-static electric and magnetic fields can be created in laboratory using laser-plasma interaction. In this article, we discuss the feasibility of axion or axionlike-particle's exploring experiments using planar and cylindrically symmetric laser-plasma fields as backgrounds while probing with an ultrafast superstrong optical laser or x-ray free-electron laser with high photon number. Compared to classical magnet design, the axion source in laser-plasma interaction trades the accumulating length for the source's interacting strength. Besides, a structured field in the plasma creates a tunable transverse profile of the interaction and improves the signal-noise ratio via the mechanisms such as phase-matching. The mass of axion discussed in this article ranges from 1 \textmu eV to 1 eV. Some simple schemes and estimations of axion production and probe's polarization rotation are given, which reveals the possibility of future laser-plasma axion source in laboratory.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figure

Heinsius´s VNVS MEVS and OXONIENSIS (or BALLIOLENSIS)

In the first part, this paper tries to identify MSS quoted by Heinsius as “unus meus” in his 1659 edition of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. In the second part, the MS quoted as “Oxoniensis” or “Balliolensis” is identified as the long-lost Oxoniensis Balliol College 142 (=O18)En la primera parte, este artículo trata de identificar los manuscritos citados por Heinsius como “unus meus” en su edición de las Metamorfosis de Ovidio de 1659. En la segunda, el manuscrito citado como “Oxoniensis” o “Balliolensis” es identificado con el perdido Oxoniensis Balliol College 142 (=O18

The X-ray Telescope of CAST

The Cern Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) is in operation and taking data since 2003. The main objective of the CAST experiment is to search for a hypothetical pseudoscalar boson, the axion, which might be produced in the core of the sun. The basic physics process CAST is based on is the time inverted Primakoff effect, by which an axion can be converted into a detectable photon in an external electromagnetic field. The resulting X-ray photons are expected to be thermally distributed between 1 and 7 keV. The most sensitive detector system of CAST is a pn-CCD detector combined with a Wolter I type X-ray mirror system. With the X-ray telescope of CAST a background reduction of more than 2 orders off magnitude is achieved, such that for the first time the axion photon coupling constant g_agg can be probed beyond the best astrophysical constraints g_agg < 1 x 10^-10 GeV^-1.Comment: 19 pages, 25 figures and images, replaced by the revised version accepted for publication in New Journal of Physic

The CAST Time Projection Chamber

One of the three X-ray detectors of the CAST experiment searching for solar axions is a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) with a multi-wire proportional counter (MWPC) as a readout structure. Its design has been optimized to provide high sensitivity to the detection of the low intensity X-ray signal expected in the CAST experiment. A low hardware threshold of 0.8 keV is safely set during normal data taking periods, and the overall efficiency for the detection of photons coming from conversion of solar axions is 62 %. Shielding has been installed around the detector, lowering the background level to 4.10 x 10^-5 counts/cm^2/s/keV between 1 and 10 keV. During phase I of the CAST experiment the TPC has provided robust and stable operation, thus contributing with a competitive result to the overall CAST limit on axion-photon coupling and mass.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures and images, submitted to New Journal of Physic

Heinsius's Vnus meus and Oxoniensis (or Balliolensis)

En la primera parte, este artículo trata de identificar los manuscritos citados por Heinsius como 'unus meus' en su edición de las 'Metamorfosis' de Ovidio de 1659. En la segunda, el manuscrito citado como 'Oxoniensis' o 'Balliolensis' es identificado con el perdido Oxoniensis Balliol College 142 (=O18)