Recent experimental results in sub- and near-barrier heavy ion fusion reactions

Recent advances obtained in the field of near and sub-barrier heavy-ion fusion reactions are reviewed. Emphasis is given to the results obtained in the last decade, and focus will be mainly on the experimental work performed concerning the influence of transfer channels on fusion cross sections and the hindrance phenomenon far below the barrier. Indeed, early data of sub-barrier fusion taught us that cross sections may strongly depend on the low-energy collective modes of the colliding nuclei, and, possibly, on couplings to transfer channels. The coupled-channels (CC) model has been quite successful in the interpretation of the experimental evidences. Fusion barrier distributions often yield the fingerprint of the relevant coupled channels. Recent results obtained by using radioactive beams are reported. At deep sub-barrier energies, the slope of the excitation function in a semi-logarithmic plot keeps increasing in many cases and standard CC calculations over-predict the cross sections. This was named a hindrance phenomenon, and its physical origin is still a matter of debate. Recent theoretical developments suggest that this effect, at least partially, may be a consequence of the Pauli exclusion principle. The hindrance may have far-reaching consequences in astrophysics where fusion of light systems determines stellar evolution during the carbon and oxygen burning stages, and yields important information for exotic reactions that take place in the inner crust of accreting neutron stars.Comment: 40 pages, 63 figures, review paper accepted for EPJ

Surface Magnetization of Aperiodic Ising Quantum Chains

We study the surface magnetization of aperiodic Ising quantum chains. Using fermion techniques, exact results are obtained in the critical region for quasiperiodic sequences generated through an irrational number as well as for the automatic binary Thue-Morse sequence and its generalizations modulo p. The surface magnetization exponent keeps its Ising value, beta_s=1/2, for all the sequences studied. The critical amplitude of the surface magnetization depends on the strength of the modulation and also on the starting point of the chain along the aperiodic sequence.Comment: 11 pages, 6 eps-figures, Plain TeX, eps

Outcomes associated with antibiotic regimens for treatment of Mycobacterium abscessus in cystic fibrosis patients

Background Mycobacterium abscessus infection is associated with declining lung function in cystic fibrosis (CF), but there is little evidence on clinical efficacy to guide treatment. Methods Retrospective review of 37 CF patients treated for M. abscessus respiratory infection at a single center from 2006 to 2014. Outcomes included change in FEV1 at 30, 60, 90, 180, and 365 days after treatment and clearance of M. abscessus from sputum cultures. Results Lung function was significantly improved after 30 and 60 days of treatment, but not at later time points. Gains were inversely related to starting lung function. Antibiotic choices did not influence outcomes except for greater clearance with clarithromycin. Conclusions Treatment of M. abscessus resulted in short term improvement in lung function that is inversely related to pre-treatment FEV1

WMAP constraints on scalar-tensor cosmology and the variation of the gravitational constant

We present observational constraints on a scalar-tensor gravity theory by $\chi^2$ test for CMB anisotropy spectrum. We compare the WMAP temperature power spectrum with the harmonic attractor model, in which the scalar field has its harmonic effective potential with curvature $\beta$ in the Einstein conformal frame and the theory relaxes toward Einstein gravity with time. We found that the present value of the scalar coupling, i.e. the present level of deviation from Einstein gravity $(\alpha_0^2)$, is bounded to be smaller than $5\times 10^{-4-7\beta}$ ($2\sigma$), and $10^{-2-7\beta}$ ($4\sigma$) for $0< \beta<0.45$. This constraint is much stronger than the bound from the solar system experiments for large $\beta$ models, i.e., $\beta> 0.2$ and 0.3 in $2\sigma$ and $4\sigma$ limits, respectively. Furthermore, within the framework of this model, the variation of the gravitational constant at the recombination epoch is constrained as $|G(z=z_{rec})-G_0|/G_0 < 0.05(2\sigma)$, and $0.23(4\sigma)$.Comment: 7 page

Real-time transverse-emittance and phase-space monitor

A real-time multislit [1] transverse-emittance monitor has been developed for diagnosing the space-charge-dominated beam in the 10MeV injection line of the FEL at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (formerly CEBAF). It gives emittance, Twiss parameters, and phase-space contours (without any symmetry assumptions) at the update rate of 1Hz. It reduces measurement noise in real-time, and incorporates a special algorithm for constructing the phase-space matrix, which yields more accurate results by sweeping the beam across the slits. In this paper we will discuss issues relevant to the software design and implementation. Experimental results obtained from a 250keV photocathode gun will also be presented and compared with other methods and with PARMELA simulations

Interacting entropy-corrected new agegraphic dark energy in Brans-Dicke cosmology

Motivated by a recent work of one of us [1], we extend it by using quantum (or entropy) corrected new agegraphic dark energy in the Brans-Dicke cosmology. The correction terms are motivated from the loop quantum gravity which is one of the competitive theories of quantum gravity. Taking the non-flat background spacetime along with the conformal age of the universe as the length scale, we derive the dynamical equation of state of dark energy and the deceleration parameter. An important consequence of this study is the phantom divide scenario with entropy-corrected new agegraphic dark energy. Moreover, we assume a system of dark matter, radiation and dark energy, while the later interacts only with dark matter. We obtain some essential expressions related with dark energy dynamics. The cosmic coincidence problem is also resolved in our model.Comment: 16 pages, no figure, accepted for publication in Gen. Relativ. Gra