Small eta-N scattering lengths favour eta-d and eta-alpha states

Unstable states of the eta meson and the 3He nucleus predicted using the time delay method were found to be in agreement with a recent claim of eta-mesic 3He states made by the TAPS collaboration. Here, we extend this method to a speculative study of the unstable states occurring in the eta-d and eta-4He elastic scattering. The T-matrix for eta-4He scattering is evaluated within the Finite Rank Approximation (FRA) of few body equations. For the evaluation of time delay in the eta-d case, we use a parameterization of an existing Faddeev calculation and compare the results with those obtained from FRA. With an eta-N scattering length, $a_{\eta N} = (0.42, 0.34)$ fm, we find an eta-d unstable bound state around -16 MeV, within the Faddeev calculation. A similar state within the FRA is found for a low value of $a_{\eta N}$, namely, $a_{\eta N} = (0.28, 0.19)$ fm. The existence of an eta-4He unstable bound state close to threshold is hinted by $a_{\eta N} = (0.28, 0.19)$ fm, but is ruled out by large scattering lengths.Comment: 21 pages, LaTex, 7 Figure

Evidence of Pentaquark States from K+ N Scattering Data?

Motivated by the recent experimental evidence of the exotic B = S = +1 baryonic state Theta(1540), we examine the older existing data on K+ N elastic scattering through the time delay method. We find positive peaks in time delay around 1.545 and 1.6 GeV in the D03 and P01 partial waves of K+ N scattering respectively, in agreement with experiments. We also find an indication of the J=3/2 Theta* spin-orbit partner to the Theta, in the P03 partial wave at 1.6 GeV. We discuss the pros and contras of these findings in support of the interpretation of these peaks as possible exotics.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Fragmentation dynamics of diatomic molecules under proton impact: Kinetic energy release spectra of CO^{q+} and NO^{q+} (q = 2, 3) molecular ions

We report on the fragmentation dynamics of triply charged, diatomic, molecular ions of NO and CO. Dissociative fragmentation after multiple ionization of NO and CO is studied under the impact of 200 keV proton beam using recoil-ion momentum spectrometer. Kinetic Energy Release distributions (KERDs) for various fragmentation channels were obtained. We have also calculated the potential energy curves (PECs) for ground and several excited states of NO^{3+} and CO^{3+} molecular ion. The obtained KERDs are discussed in the background of the calculated PECs as well as the simple Coulomb excitation model. Coulomb breakup of the unstable precursor molecular ion shows a clear preference for the N^{2+} + O^+ (and C^{2+} + O^+) fragmentation channel.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 3 table

Coherent pion production in neutrino nucleus collision in the 1 GeV region

We calculate cross sections for coherent pion production in nuclei induced by neutrinos and antineutrinos of the electron and muon type. The analogies and differences between this process and the related ones of coherent pion production induced by photons, or the (p,n) and $(^3 He, t)$ reactions are discussed. The process is one of the several ones occurring for intermediate energy neutrinos, to be considered when detecting atmospheric neutrinos. For this purpose the results shown here can be easily extrapolated to other energies and other nuclei.Comment: 13 pages, LaTex, 8 post-script figures available at [email protected]

Hidden evidence of non-exponential nuclear decay

The framework to describe natural phenomena at their basics being quantum mechanics, there exist a large number of common global phenomena occurring in different branches of natural sciences. One such global phenomenon is spontaneous quantum decay. However, its long time behaviour is experimentally poorly known. Here we show, that by combining two genuine quantum mechanical results, it is possible to infer on this large time behaviour, directly from data. Specifically, we find evidence for non-exponential behaviour of alpha decay of 8Be at large times from experiments.Comment: 12 pages LaTex, 3 figure

Saturated Zone Plumes in Volcanic Rock: Implications for Yucca Mountain

This paper presents a literature survey of the occurrences of radionuclide plumes in saturated, fractured rocks. Three sites, Idaho National laboratory, Hanford, and Oak Ridge are discussed in detail. Results of a modeling study are also presented showing that the length to width ratio of a plume starting within the repository footprint at the Yucca Mountain Project site, decreases from about 20:1 for the base case to about 4:1 for a higher value of transverse dispersivity, indicating enhanced lateral spreading of the plume. Due to the definition of regulatory requirements, this lateral spreading does not directly impact breakthrough curves at the 18 km compliance boundary, however it increases the potential that a plume will encounter reducing conditions, thus significantly retarding the transport of sorbing radionuclides

Pre- and post-processing of cluster galaxies out to 5×R2005 \times R_{200}: The extreme case of A2670

We study galaxy interactions in the large scale environment around A2670, a massive ($M_{200}$ = $8.5 \pm 1.2~\times 10^{14} \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$) and interacting galaxy cluster at z = 0.0763. We first characterize the environment of the cluster out to 5$\times R_{200}$ and find a wealth of substructures, including the main cluster core, a large infalling group, and several other substructures. To study the impact of these substructures (pre-processing) and their accretion into the main cluster (post-processing) on the member galaxies, we visually examined optical images to look for signatures indicative of gravitational or hydrodynamical interactions. We find that $\sim 21$ % of the cluster galaxies have clear signs of disturbances, with most of those ($\sim60$ %) likely being disturbed by ram pressure. The number of ram-pressure stripping candidates found (101) in A2670 is the largest to date for a single system, and while they are more common in the cluster core, they can be found even at $> 4 \times R_{200}$, confirming cluster influence out to large radii. In support of a pre-processing scenario, most of the disturbed galaxies follow the substructures found, with the richest structures having more disturbed galaxies. Post-processing also seems plausible, as many galaxy-galaxy mergers are seen near the cluster core, which is not expected in relaxed clusters. In addition, there is a comparable fraction of disturbed galaxies in and outside substructures. Overall, our results highlight the complex interplay of gas stripping and gravitational interactions in actively assembling clusters up to $5\times R_{200}$, motivating wide-area studies in larger cluster samples.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA

Acute and Chronic Acetaminophen Use and Renal Disease: A Case-Control Study Using Pharmacy and Medical Claims

Studies have examined the association between acetaminophen (APAP) use and renal disease; however, their interpretation is limited by a number of methodological issues

Prescription-Acquired Acetaminophen Use and the Risk of Asthma in Adults: A Case-Control Study

Studies have examined the association between acetaminophen (APAP) use and asthma; however, their interpretation is limited by a number of methodological issues