Calibration of longwavelength exotech model 20-C spectroradiometer

A brief description of the Exotech model 20-C field spectroradiometer which measures the spectral radiance of a target in the wavelength ranges 0.37 to 2.5 microns (short wavelength unit), 2.8 to 5.6 microns and 7.0 to 14 microns (long wavelength unit) is given. Wavelength calibration of long wavelength unit was done by knowing the strong, sharp and accurately known absorption bands of polystyrene, atmospheric carbon dioxide and methyl cyclohexane (liquid) in the infrared wavelength region. The spectral radiance calibration was done by recording spectral scans of the hot and the cold blackbodies and assuming that spectral radiance varies linearly with the signal

Hidden Extra U(1) at the Electroweak/TeV Scale

We propose a simple extension of the Standard Model (SM) by adding an extra U(1) symmetry which is hidden from the SM sector. Such a hidden U(1) has not been considered before, and its existence at the TeV scale can be explored at the LHC. This hidden U(1) does not couple directly to the SM particles, and couples only to new SU(2)_L singlet exotic quarks and singlet Higgs bosons, and is broken at the TeV scale. The dominant signals at the high energy hadron colliders are multi lepton and multi b-jet final states with or without missing energy. We calculate the signal rates as well as the corresponding Standard Model background for these final states. A very distinctive signal is 6 high p_T b-jets in the final state with no missing energy. For a wide range of the exotic quarks masses the signals are observable above the background at the LHC.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figure

Anderson-Mott Transition Driven by Spin Disorder: Spin Glass Transition and Magnetotransport in Amorphous GdSi

A zero temperature Anderson-Mott transition driven by spin disorder can be `tuned' by an applied magnetic field to achieve colossal magnetoconductance. Usually this is not possible since spin disorder by itself cannot localise a high density electron system. However, the presence of strong structural disorder can realise this situation, self consistently generating a disordered magnetic ground state. We explore such a model, constructed to understand amorphous GdSi, and highlight the emergence of a spin glass phase, Anderson-Mott signatures in transport and tunneling spectra, and unusual magneto-optical conductivity. We solve a disordered strong coupling fermion-spin-lattice problem essentially exactly on finite systems, and account for all the qualitative features observed in magnetism, transport, and the optical spectra in this system.Comment: Final version of cond-mat/0209579, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Acoustic and optical phonon dynamics from femtosecond time-resolved optical spectroscopy of superconducting iron pnictide Ca(Fe_0.944Co_0.056)_2As_2

We report temperature evolution of coherently excited acoustic and optical phonon dynamics in superconducting iron pnictide single crystal Ca(Fe_0.944Co_0.056)_2As_2 across the spin density wave transition at T_SDW ~ 85 K and superconducting transition at T_SC ~20 K. Strain pulse propagation model applied to the generation of the acoustic phonons yields the temperature dependence of the optical constants, and longitudinal and transverse sound velocities in the temperature range of 3.1 K to 300 K. The frequency and dephasing times of the phonons show anomalous temperature dependence below T_SC indicating a coupling of these low energy excitations with the Cooper-pair quasiparticles. A maximum in the amplitude of the acoustic modes at T ~ 170 is seen, attributed to spin fluctuations and strong spin-lattice coupling before T_SDW.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures (revised manuscript

Ultrafast quasiparticle dynamics in superconducting iron pnictide CaFe1.89Co0.11As2

Nonequilibrium quasiparticle relaxation dynamics is reported in superconducting CaFe1.89Co0.11As2 single crystal using femtosecond time-resolved pump-probe spectroscopy. The carrier dynamics reflects a three-channel decay of laser deposited energy with characteristic time scales varying from few hundreds of femtoseconds to order of few nanoseconds where the amplitudes and time-constants of the individual electronic relaxation components show significant changes in the vicinity of the spin density wave (T_SDW ~ 85 K) and superconducting (T_SC ~ 20 K) phase transition temperatures. The quasiparticles dynamics in the superconducting state reveals a charge gap with reduced gap value of 2$\Delta$_0/k_BT_SC ~ 1.8. We have determined the electron-phonon coupling constant \lemda to be ~ 0.14 from the temperature dependent relaxation time in the normal state, a value close to those reported for other types of pnictides. From the peculiar temperature-dependence of the carrier dynamics in the intermediate temperature region between the superconducting and spin density wave phase transitions, we infer a temperature scale where the charge gap associated with the spin ordered phase is maximum and closes on either side while approaching the two phase transition temperatures.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures (revised manuscript); http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssc.2013.02.00

A novel platform for isotype-specific testing of autoantibodies.

The objective of this study was to test if a novel platform could be used for isotype-specific autoantibody testing in humans. Further, we evaluated if testing with this novel platform enables earlier detection of insulin autoantibodies in individuals that have first-degree relatives with type-1 diabetes than currently used approaches. Longitudinal serum samples from participants were collected before and after they converted to become positive for insulin autoantibodies by the current standardly used assays. Using a novel plasmonic gold chip platform, we tested these samples for IgM isotype-specific autoantibodies. Serial serum samples from individuals without diabetes were also tested as a comparison control cohort. Our results demonstrate proof-of-concept that a plasmonic gold chip can specifically detect the IgM insulin autoantibody. Five out of the six individuals that converted to being positive for insulin autoantibodies by standard testing had significant IgM autoantibodies on the plasmonic chip platform. The plasmonic chip platform detected IgM autoantibodies earlier than standard testing by up to 4 years. Our results indicate that the plasmonic gold platform can specifically detect the IgM isotype autoantibodies and suggest that combining isotype-specific testing with currently used approaches enables earlier detection of insulin autoantibodies in individuals that have first-degree relatives with type 1 diabetes

Influence of high gas production during thermophilic anaerobic digestion in pilot-scale and lab-scale reactors on survival of the thermotolerant pathogens Clostridium perfringens and Campylobacter jejuni in piggery wastewater

Safe reuse of animal wastes to capture energy and nutrients, through anaerobic digestion processes, is becoming an increasingly desirable solution to environmental pollution. Pathogen decay is the most important safety consideration and is in general, improved at elevated temperatures and longer hydraulic residence times. During routine sampling to assess pathogen decay in thermophilic digestion, an inversely proportional relationship between levels of Clostridium perfringens and gas production was observed. Further samples were collected from pilot-scale, bench-scale thermophilic reactors and batch scale vials to assess whether gas production (predominantly methane) could be a useful indicator of decay of the thermotolerant pathogens C. perfringens and Campylobacter jejuni. Pathogen levels did appear to be lower where gas production and levels of methanogens were higher. This was evident at each operating temperature (50, 57, 65 °C) in the pilot-scale thermophilic digesters, although higher temperatures also reduced the numbers of pathogens detected. When methane production was higher, either when feed rate was increased, or pH was lowered from 8.2 (piggery wastewater) to 6.5, lower numbers of pathogens were detected. Although a number of related factors are known to influence the amount and rate of methane production, it may be a useful indicator of the removal of the pathogens C. perfringens and C. jejuni

Identifying the contributions of Universal Extra Dimensions in the Higgs sector at linear e+ e- colliders

We study the dilepton-dijet signal in the dominant Higgs production channel at a linear e+ e- collider. We estimate the effects of Universal Extra Dimension (UED) by a simple analysis of the cross-sections. The heavy Kaluza-Klein excitations of the Standard Model fields in UED can significantly alter the decay properties of the Higgs boson to loop-driven final states. We show that by taking a simple ratio between cross-sections of two different final states this difference can be very easily highlighted.Comment: Some parts of the text modified. 1 figure added. Version to appear in IJMP

Memory-induced anomalous dynamics: emergence of diffusion, subdiffusion, and superdiffusion from a single random walk model

We present a random walk model that exhibits asymptotic subdiffusive, diffusive, and superdiffusive behavior in different parameter regimes. This appears to be the first instance of a single random walk model leading to all three forms of behavior by simply changing parameter values. Furthermore, the model offers the great advantage of analytic tractability. Our model is non-Markovian in that the next jump of the walker is (probabilistically) determined by the history of past jumps. It also has elements of intermittency in that one possibility at each step is that the walker does not move at all. This rich encompassing scenario arising from a single model provides useful insights into the source of different types of asymptotic behavior