4,149 research outputs found
Crystals for high-energy calorimetry in extreme environments
Crystals are used as a homogeneous calorimetric medium in many high-energy
physics experiments. For some experiments, performance has to be ensured in
very difficult operating conditions, like a high radiation environment, very
large particle fluxes, high collision rates, placing constraints on response
and readout time. An overview is presented of recent achievements in the field,
with particular attention given to the performance of Lead Tungstate (PWO)
crystals exposed to high particle fluxes.Comment: To be published in Proc. of the Meeting of the Division of Particles
and Fields of the American Physical Society, DPF2004 (Riverside, USA, August
26th to 31st, 2004
Contact orderability up to conjugation
We study in this paper the remnants of the contact partial order on the
orbits of the adjoint action of contactomorphism groups on their Lie algebras.
Our main interest is a class of non-compact contact manifolds, called convex at
infinity.Comment: 28 pages, 1 figur
Torque magnetometry on single-crystal high temperature superconductors near the critical temperature: a scaling approach
Angular-dependent magnetic torque measurements performed near the critical
temperature on single crystals of HgBa_{2}CuO_{4+y}, La_{2-x}Sr{x}CuO_{4}, and
YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{6.93} are scaled, following the 3D XY model, in order to
determine the scaling function dG^{\pm}(z)/dz which describes the universal
critical properties near T_{c}. A systematic shift of the scaling function with
increasing effective mass anisotropy \gamma = (m_{ab}*/m_{c}*)^{1/2} is
observed, which may be understood in terms of a 3D-2D crossover. Further
evidence for a 3D-2D crossover is found from temperature-dependent torque
measurements carried out in different magnetic fields at different field
orientations \delta, which show a quasi 2D "crossing region'' (M*,T*). The
occurrence of this "crossing phenomenon'' is explained in a phenomenological
way from the weak z dependence of the scaling function around a value z = z*.
The "crossing'' temperature T* is found to be angular-dependent. Torque
measurements above T_{c} reveal that fluctuations are strongly enhanced in the
underdoped regime where the anisotropy is large, whereas they are less
important in the overdoped regime.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, submitted to PR
Neonatal treatment of CINCA syndrome.
ABSTRACT: Chronic Infantile Neurological Cutaneous Articular (CINCA) syndrome, also called Neonatal Onset Multisystem Inflammatory Disease (NOMID) is a chronic disease with early onset affecting mainly the central nervous system, bones and joints and may lead to permanent damage. We report two preterm infants with severe CINCA syndrome treated by anti-interleukin-1 in the neonatal period, although, so far, no experience with this treatment in infants younger than three months of age has been reported. A review of the literature was performed with focus on treatment and neonatal features of CINCA syndrome.
CASE REPORT: Two cases suspected to have CINCA syndrome were put on treatment with anakinra in the early neonatal period due to severe clinical presentation. We observed a rapid and persistent decline of clinical signs and systemic inflammation and good drug tolerance. Diagnosis was confirmed in both cases by mutations in the NLRP3/CIAS1-gene coding for cryopyrin. As particular neonatal clinical signs polyhydramnios and endocardial overgrowth are to be mentioned.
CONCLUSION: We strongly suggest that specific treatment targeting interleukin-1 activity should be started early. Being well tolerated, it can be introduced already in neonates presenting clinical signs of severe CINCA syndrome in order to rapidly control inflammation and to prevent life-long disability
Electron-wall interaction in Hall thrusters
Electron-wall interaction effects in Hall thrusters are studied through measurements of the plasma response to variations of the thruster channel width and the discharge voltage. The discharge voltage threshold is shown to separate two thruster regimes. Below this threshold, the electron energy gain is constant in the acceleration region and therefore, secondary electron emission (SEE) from the channel walls is insufficient to enhance electron energy losses at the channel walls. Above this voltage threshold, the maximum electron temperature saturates. This result seemingly agrees with predictions of the temperature saturation, which recent Hall thruster models explain as a transition to space-charge saturated regime of the near-wall sheath. However, in the experiment, the maximum saturation temperature exceeds by almost three times the critical value estimated under the assumption of a Maxwellian electron energy distribution function. The channel narrowing, which should also enhance electron-wall collisions, causes unexpectedly larger changes of the plasma potential distribution than does the increase of the electron temperature with the discharge voltage. An enhanced anomalous crossed-field mobility (near wall or Bohm-type) is suggested by a hydrodynamic model as an explanation to the reduced electric field measured inside a narrow channel. We found, however, no experimental evidence of a coupling between the maximum electron temperature and the location of the accelerating voltage drop, which might have been expected due to the SEE-induced near-wall conductivity.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87763/2/057104_1.pd
Symplectic geometry on moduli spaces of J-holomorphic curves
Let (M,\omega) be a symplectic manifold, and Sigma a compact Riemann surface.
We define a 2-form on the space of immersed symplectic surfaces in M, and show
that the form is closed and non-degenerate, up to reparametrizations. Then we
give conditions on a compatible almost complex structure J on (M,\omega) that
ensure that the restriction of the form to the moduli space of simple immersed
J-holomorphic Sigma-curves in a homology class A in H_2(M,\Z) is a symplectic
form, and show applications and examples. In particular, we deduce sufficient
conditions for the existence of J-holomorphic Sigma-curves in a given homology
class for a generic J.Comment: 16 page
Bott periodicity and stable quantum classes
We use Bott periodicity to relate previously defined quantum classes to
certain "exotic Chern classes" on . This provides an interesting
computational and theoretical framework for some Gromov-Witten invariants
connected with cohomological field theories. This framework has applications to
study of higher dimensional, Hamiltonian rigidity aspects of Hofer geometry of
, one of which we discuss here.Comment: prepublication versio
Probing superconductivity in MgB2 confined to magnetic field tuned cylinders by means of critical fluctuations
We report and analyze reversible magnetization measurements on a high quality
MgB2 single crystal in the vicinity of the zero field transition temperature,
T_c=38.83 K, at several magnetic fields up to 300 Oe, applied along the c-axis.
Though MgB2 is a two gap superconductor our scaling analysis uncovers
remarkable consistency with 3D-xy critical behavior, revealing that close to
criticality the order parameter is a single complex scalar as in 4He. This
opens up the window onto the exploration of the magnetic field induced finite
size effect, whereupon the correlation length transverse to the applied
magnetic field H_i applied along the i-axis cannot grow beyond the limiting
magnetic length L_Hi, related to the average distance between vortex lines. We
find unambiguous evidence for this finite size effect. It implies that in type
II superconductors, such as MgB2, there is the 3D to 1D crossover line H_pi and
xi denotes the critical amplitudes of the correlation lengths above and below
T_c along the respective axis. Consequently, above H_pi(T) and T<T_c
superconductivity is confined to cylinders with diameter L_Hi (1D). In
contrast, above T_c the uncondensed pairs are confined to cylinders.
Accordingly, there is no continuous phase transition in the (H,T)-plane along
the H_c2-lines as predicted by the mean-field treatment
Isotope effects in underdoped cuprate superconductors: a quantum phenomenon
We show that the unusual doping dependence of the isotope effects on
transition temperature and zero temperature in - plane penetration depth
naturally follows from the doping driven 3D-2D crossover, the 2D quantum
superconductor to insulator transition (QSI) in the underdoped limit and the
change of the relative doping concentration upon isotope substitution. Close to
the QSI transition both, the isotope coefficient of transition temperature and
penetration depth approach the coefficient of the relative dopant
concentration, and its divergence sets the scale. These predictions are fully
consistent with the experimental data and imply that close to the underdoped
limit the unusual isotope effect on transition temperature and penetration
depth uncovers critical phenomena associated with the quantum superconductor to
insulator transition in two dimensions.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Fluctuating work in coherent quantum systems: proposals and limitations
One of the most important goals in quantum thermodynamics is to demonstrate
advantages of thermodynamic protocols over their classical counterparts. For
that, it is necessary to (i) develop theoretical tools and experimental set-ups
to deal with quantum coherence in thermodynamic contexts, and to (ii) elucidate
which properties are genuinely quantum in a thermodynamic process. In this
short review, we discuss proposals to define and measure work fluctuations that
allow to capture quantum interference phenomena. We also discuss fundamental
limitations arising due to measurement back-action, as well as connections
between work distributions and quantum contextuality. We hope the different
results summarised here motivate further research on the role of quantum
phenomena in thermodynamics.Comment: As a chapter of: F. Binder, L. A. Correa, C. Gogolin, J. Anders, and
G. Adesso (eds.), "Thermodynamics in the quantum regime - Recent Progress and
Outlook", (Springer International Publishing). Second version: Misspell in
the title correcte
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