29 research outputs found
MEG Upgrade Proposal
We propose the continuation of the MEG experiment to search for the charged
lepton flavour violating decay (cLFV) \mu \to e \gamma, based on an upgrade of
the experiment, which aims for a sensitivity enhancement of one order of
magnitude compared to the final MEG result, down to the
level. The key features of this new MEG upgrade are an increased rate
capability of all detectors to enable running at the intensity frontier and
improved energy, angular and timing resolutions, for both the positron and
photon arms of the detector. On the positron-side a new low-mass, single
volume, high granularity tracker is envisaged, in combination with a new highly
segmented, fast timing counter array, to track positron from a thinner stopping
target. The photon-arm, with the largest liquid xenon (LXe) detector in the
world, totalling 900 l, will also be improved by increasing the granularity at
the incident face, by replacing the current photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) with a
larger number of smaller photosensors and optimizing the photosensor layout
also on the lateral faces. A new DAQ scheme involving the implementation of a
new combined readout board capable of integrating the diverse functions of
digitization, trigger capability and splitter functionality into one condensed
unit, is also under development. We describe here the status of the MEG
experiment, the scientific merits of the upgrade and the experimental methods
we plan to use.Comment: A. M. Baldini and T. Mori Spokespersons. Research proposal submitted
to the Paul Scherrer Institute Research Committee for Particle Physics at the
Ring Cyclotron. 131 Page
Mu2e Technical Design Report
The Mu2e experiment at Fermilab will search for charged lepton flavor
violation via the coherent conversion process mu- N --> e- N with a sensitivity
approximately four orders of magnitude better than the current world's best
limits for this process. The experiment's sensitivity offers discovery
potential over a wide array of new physics models and probes mass scales well
beyond the reach of the LHC. We describe herein the preliminary design of the
proposed Mu2e experiment. This document was created in partial fulfillment of
the requirements necessary to obtain DOE CD-2 approval.Comment: compressed file, 888 pages, 621 figures, 126 tables; full resolution
available at http://mu2e.fnal.gov; corrected typo in background summary,
Table 3.
Group A streptococcal meningitis: a case report.
Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A streptococcus, GAS) is a rare cause of bacterial meningitis, accounting for less than 1% of cases. GAS meningitis has rarely been reported in children, and is associated with a high (46%) rate of morbidity and a high (10-17%) case fatality rate. This paper describes a case of meningitis caused by GAS in a previously healthy child; M protein genotyping demonstrated an emm type 12. Although not common, GAS meningitis must be considered in children vaccinated for other invasive pathogens. Continuous monitoring of the molecular epidemiology of circulating invasive GAS strains is of crucial importance for planning intervention policies
SERCA1 and calsequestrin storage myopathy: a new surplus protein myopathy.
We describe four patients, from four different families, affected by a mild myopathy or asymptomatic elevated serum creatine kinase levels, in whom toluidine blue-stained semithin sections of muscle specimens revealed inclusions of different size and shape. The inclusions did not stain by routine histochemical studies. The sarcoplasmic or endoplasmic reticulum calcium 1 (SERCA1) ATPase and/or calsequestrin reactivity of inclusions, by immunohistochemistry, and the SERCA1- and calsequestrin-increased expression, by immunoblot, suggested that inclusions were constituted by an excess of proteins normally present in the terminal cisternae of sarcoplasmic reticulum. Our cases, both sporadic and familial, represent a new type of surplus protein myopathy
Assembly techniques for ultra-low mass drift chambers
none8noneAssiro, R.; Cascella, M.; Grancagnolo, F.; L'Erario, A.; Miccoli, A.; Rella, S.; Spedicato, M.; Tassielli, G.Assiro, R.; Cascella, Michele; Grancagnolo, F.; L'Erario, A.; Miccoli, A.; Rella, Simona; Spedicato, Matteo; Tassielli, GIOVANNI FRANCESC
Review of West Nile virus epidemiology in Italy and report of a case of West Nile virus encephalitis.
West Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus that causes neurological disorders in less than 1 % of infected subjects. Human cases of WNV-associated fever and/or neurological disorders have been reported in Italy since 2008. The first outbreak occurred in the northeastern region of Italy surrounding the Po River and was caused by the Po River lineage 1 strain, and since then, WNV infections have been reported in several regions of central Italy. Although the virus is highly genetically conserved, stochastic mutations in its genome may lead to the emergence of new strains, as was observed in Italy in 2011 with the identification of two new lineage 1 strains, the WNV Piave and WNV Livenza strains. To help further define WNV epidemiology in Italy, we describe a case of an Italian man living in the Po River area who developed fatal encephalitis in 2009 due to infection with the WNV Piave strain. This finding supports the notion that the Piave strain has been circulating in this area of Italy for 2 years longer than was previously believed
Nonlinear Model Identification and Observer Design for Thrust Estimation of Small-scale Turbojet Engines
Jet-powered vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones require precise thrust estimation to ensure adequate stability margins and robust maneuvering. Small-scale turbojets have become good candidates for powering heavy aerial drones. However, due to limited instrumentation available in these turbojets, estimating the precise thrust using classical techniques is not straightforward. In this paper, we present a methodology to accurately estimate the online thrust for the small-scale turbojets used on the iRonCub - an aerial humanoid robot. We use a grey-box method to capture the turbojet system dynamics with a nonlinear state-space model based on the data acquired from a custom engine test bench. This model is then used to design an extended Kalman filter that estimates the turbojet thrust only from the angular speed measurements. We exploited the parameter estimation algorithm to ensure that the EKF gives smooth and accurate estimates even at engine failures. The designed EKF was validated on the test bench where the mean absolute error in estimated thrust was found to be within 2% of rated peak thrust