Genome Research and Traditional Intellectual Property Protection -- A Bad Fit?

Dr. Murashige addresses the need for a patent system more closely tailored to the needs of biotechnology. For example, the obviousness requirement may interfere with using patents to recoup high costs of work when it could arguably be done by researchers of ordinary skill

Overview of Potential Intellectual Property Protection for Biotechnology

Dr. Murashige compares the function and value of copyright, patent and trade secret laws in recovering investments in developing genome-related biotechnology

Conceptual Design of a New Large Superconducting Toroid for IAXO, the New International AXion Observatory

The International AXion Observatory (IAXO) will incorporate a new generation detector for axions, a hypothetical particle, which was postulated to solve one of the puzzles arising in the standard model of particle physics, namely the strong CP problem. The new IAXO experiment is aiming at achieving a sensitivity to the coupling between axions and photons of one order of magnitude beyond the limits of the current state-of-the-art detector, represented by the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST). The IAXO detector relies on a high-magnetic field distributed over a very large volume to convert solar axions into x-ray photons. Utilizing the designs of the ATLAS barrel and end-cap toroids, a large superconducting toroidal magnet is currently being designed at CERN to provide the required magnetic field. The new toroid will be built up from eight, one meter wide and 20 m long, racetrack coils. The toroid is sized about 4 m in diameter and 22 m in length. It is designed to realize a peak magnetic field of 5.4 T with a stored energy of 500 MJ. The magnetic field optimization process to arrive at maximum detector yield is described. In addition, force and stress calculations are performed to select materials and determine their structure and sizing. Conductor dimensionality, quench protection and the cryogenic design are dealt with as well.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. To be published in IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 23 (ASC 2012 conference special issue

On the Spectrum of Isotropic Turbulence

Measurements of the spectrum and correlation functions at large Reynolds number (RN ~ 10^5 based on the grid mesh) have been made, as well as a series of accurate spectrum measurements at lower Reynolds number (RN ~ 10^4). The results are compared with the theoretical laws proposed in recent years. It is found that the measurements at large Reynolds numbers exhibit a range of frequencies where the spectrum is nearly of the form n^- 5/3. The largest part of the spectrum in the initial stage of decay at the lower Reynolds number was found to follow closely the simple spectrum A/[B + n^2] , where A and B are constants and n is the frequency of fluctuation. At x/M = 1000 (where x is the distance behind the grid and M is the mesh size) the spectrum approaches a Gaussian distribution. The second, fourth, and sixth moments of the spectrum have been computed from the measurements and are discussed In relation to theoretical results. The significance of the number of zeros of the fluctuating velocity u(t) is discussed and examples of measurements for the determination of the microscale of turbulence [lambda] from zero counts are given

The Superconducting Toroid for the New International AXion Observatory (IAXO)

IAXO, the new International AXion Observatory, will feature the most ambitious detector for solar axions to date. Axions are hypothetical particles which were postulated to solve one of the puzzles arising in the standard model of particle physics, namely the strong CP (Charge conjugation and Parity) problem. This detector aims at achieving a sensitivity to the coupling between axions and photons of one order of magnitude beyond the limits of the current detector, the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST). The IAXO detector relies on a high-magnetic field distributed over a very large volume to convert solar axions to detectable X-ray photons. Inspired by the ATLAS barrel and end-cap toroids, a large superconducting toroid is being designed. The toroid comprises eight, one meter wide and twenty one meters long racetrack coils. The assembled toroid is sized 5.2 m in diameter and 25 m in length and its mass is about 250 tons. The useful field in the bores is 2.5 T while the peak magnetic field in the windings is 5.4 T. At the operational current of 12 kA the stored energy is 500 MJ. The racetrack type of coils are wound with a reinforced Aluminum stabilized NbTi/Cu cable and are conduction cooled. The coils optimization is shortly described as well as new concepts for cryostat, cold mass, supporting structure and the sun tracking system. Materials selection and sizing, conductor, thermal loads, the cryogenics system and the electrical system are described. Lastly, quench simulations are reported to demonstrate the system's safe quench protection scheme.Comment: To appear in IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. MT 23 issue. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1308.2526, arXiv:1212.463

New Superconducting Toroidal Magnet System for IAXO, the International AXion Observatory

Axions are hypothetical particles that were postulated to solve one of the puzzles arising in the standard model of particle physics, namely the strong CP (Charge conjugation and Parity) problem. The new International AXion Observatory (IAXO) will incorporate the most promising solar axions detector to date, which is designed to enhance the sensitivity to the axion-photon coupling by one order of magnitude beyond the limits of the current state-of-the-art detector, the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST). The IAXO detector relies on a high-magnetic field distributed over a very large volume to convert solar axions into X-ray photons. Inspired by the successful realization of the ATLAS barrel and end-cap toroids, a very large superconducting toroid is currently designed at CERN to provide the required magnetic field. This toroid will comprise eight, one meter wide and twenty one meter long, racetrack coils. The system is sized 5.2 m in diameter and 25 m in length. Its peak magnetic field is 5.4 T with a stored energy of 500 MJ. The magnetic field optimization process to arrive at maximum detector yield is described. In addition, materials selection and their structure and sizing has been determined by force and stress calculations. Thermal loads are estimated to size the necessary cryogenic power and the concept of a forced flow supercritical helium based cryogenic system is given. A quench simulation confirmed the quench protection scheme.Comment: Accepted for publication in Adv. Cryo. Eng. (CEC/ICMC 2013 special issue

Longitudinal propagation velocity of the normal zone in superconducting wires

The longitudinal propagation of the normal zone in superconducting wires was experimentally investigated in order to evaluate existing analytical expressions which attempt to describe the propagation velocity in a more or less simple manner. The availability of a reliable expression is important for application in computer codes that calculate quench evolutions in superconducting magnets. We measured the propagation velocity as function of transport current and magnetic field in five different insulated NbTi superconductors having a copper, a copper-nickel or a mixed matrix. The comparison to calculated velocities using five existing models showed that large quantitative and qualitative differences exist