Near-threshold production of W±W^\pm, Z0Z^0 and H0H^0 at a fixed-target experiment at the future ultra-high-energy proton colliders

We outline the opportunities to study the production of the Standard Model bosons, $W^\pm$, $Z^0$ and $H^0$ at "low" energies at fixed-target experiments based at possible future ultra-high-energy proton colliders, \ie\ the High-Energy LHC, the Super proton-proton Collider and the Future Circular Collider -- hadron-hadron. These can be indeed made in conjunction with the proposed future colliders designed to reach up to $\sqrt{s}=100$ TeV by using bent crystals to extract part of the halo of the beam which would then impinge on a fixed target. Without disturbing the collider operation, this technique allows for the extraction of a substantial amount of particles in addition to serve for a beam-cleaning purpose. With this method, high-luminosity fixed-target studies at centre-of-mass energies above the $W^\pm$, $Z^0$ and $H^0$ masses, $\sqrt{s} \simeq 170-300$ GeV, are possible. We also discuss the possibility offered by an internal gas target, which can also be used as luminosity monitor by studying the beam transverse shape

Gyrokinetic studies of the effect of beta on drift-wave stability in NCSX

The gyrokinetic turbulence code GS2 was used to investigate the effects of plasma beta on linear, collisionless ion temperature gradient (ITG) modes and trapped electron modes (TEM) in National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) geometry. Plasma beta affects stability in two ways: through the equilibrium and through magnetic fluctuations. The first was studied here by comparing ITG and TEM stability in two NCSX equilibria of differing beta values, revealing that the high beta equilibrium was marginally more stable than the low beta equilibrium in the adiabatic-electron ITG mode case. However, the high beta case had a lower kinetic-electron ITG mode critical gradient. Electrostatic and electromagnetic ITG and TEM mode growth rate dependencies on temperature gradient and density gradient were qualitatively similar. The second beta effect is demonstrated via electromagnetic ITG growth rates' dependency on GS2's beta input parameter. A linear benchmark with gyrokinetic codes GENE and GKV-X is also presented.Comment: Submitted to Physics of Plasmas. 9 pages, 27 figure

Optical alignment and polarization conversion of neutral exciton spin in individual InAs/GaAs quantum dots

We investigate exciton spin memory in individual InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots via optical alignment and conversion of exciton polarization in a magnetic field. Quasiresonant phonon-assisted excitation is successfully employed to define the initial spin polarization of neutral excitons. The conservation of the linear polarization generated along the bright exciton eigenaxes of up to 90% and the conversion from circular- to linear polarization of up to 47% both demonstrate a very long spin relaxation time with respect to the radiative lifetime. Results are quantitatively compared with a model of pseudo-spin 1/2 including heavy-to-light hole mixing.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

An Enhanced Nonlinear Critical Gradient for Electron Turbulent Transport due to Reversed Magnetic Shear

The first nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of electron internal transport barriers (e-ITBs) in the National Spherical Torus Experiment show that reversed magnetic shear can suppress thermal transport by increasing the nonlinear critical gradient for electron-temperature-gradient-driven turbulence to three times its linear critical value. An interesting feature of this turbulence is nonlinearly driven off-midplane radial streamers. This work reinforces the experimental observation that magnetic shear is likely an effective way of triggering and sustaining e-ITBs in magnetic fusion devices.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Production of antibiotic-free pigs – tools and results

The present paper describes preliminary results from a Danish project with production of antibiotic-free pigs. The project herd is a traditional Danish 500 sow herd with weaned pigs on the same site. 1/3 of the pigs are kept until slaughter on an adjacent farm and remaining pigs are sold to local finishing producers. Before initiation of the project, the herd had a consumption of antibiotics around 50% of the threshold given by the Danish authorities. However, the farmer took the challenge to produce pigs without any antibiotics at all, with the initial goal to deliver 50% antibiotic-free pigs for slaughter. The measures implemented were a stronger focus on management and vaccination against Lawsonia intracellularis on top of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and PCV2 vaccination. The results are promising: In the first 6 months of the project, the herd has not only experienced reduced use of antibiotics, but also an increased productivity. The monthly prescriptions of antibiotics were lowered from 2.15 to 1.86 Animal Daily Doses (ADD) per 100 pigs per day in the sow herd and from 8.30 to 4.19 ADD/100 pigs/day in the weaners. Compared to the previous year, the piglet mortality in the farrowing unit dropped by 2.5 %, the average daily weight gain in weaners increased by 34 g/day and the feed conversion rate dropped by 0.15 FE/kg. Data from finishers are not yet available

A peptide with N-terminal histidine and C-terminal isoleucine amide (PHI) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) are copackaged in myenteric neurones of the guinea pig ileum.

When cytoplasmic extracts of the myenteric plexus of guinea pig ileum are submitted to centrifugal density gradient separation in a zonal rotor, conditions which separate storage particles containing substance P, somatostatin and VIP from each other, PHI copurifies with VIP. The two immunoreactivities cannot be separated by particle exclusion chromatography, which depends on size rather than density. It is concluded that the posttranslational cleavage of the propeptide or precursor to PHI and VIP occurs after packaging into these storage particles