Solar Neutrino Data, Neutrino Magnetic Moments and Flavor Mixing

The results of all currently operating solar neutrino experiments are analyzed in the framework of the resonant neutrino spin--flavor precession scenario including the effects of neutrino mixing. Nine different profiles of the solar magnetic field are used in the calculations. It is shown that the available experimental data can be accounted for within the considered scenario. The Ga--Ge data lead to an upper limit on the neutrino mixing angle: \sin 2\theta_0 \aprle 0.25. One can discriminate between small mixing angle (\sin 2\theta_0 \aprle 0.1) and moderate mixing angle solutions by studying the solar $\bar{\nu}_{e}$ flux which is predicted to be sizeable for moderate mixing angles. The expected signals due to $\bar{\nu}_{e}$ in the SNO, Super--Kamiokande and Borexino experiments are calculated and found to be detectable for \sin 2\theta_0 \aprge 0.1.Comment: 16 pages, latex, 5 figures available upon request from Author

Sectoral r modes and periodic RV variations of Sun-like stars

Radial velocity (RV) measurements are used to search for planets orbiting late-type main-sequence stars and confirm the transiting planets. The most advanced spectrometers are approaching a precision of $\sim 10$ cm/s that implies the need to identify and correct for all possible sources of RV oscillations intrinsic to the star down to this level and possibly beyond. The recent discovery of global-scale equatorial Rossby waves in the Sun, also called r modes, prompted us to investigate their possible signature in stellar RV measurements. R modes are toroidal modes of oscillation whose restoring force is the Coriolis force and propagate in the retrograde direction in a frame that corotates with the star. The solar r modes with azimuthal orders $3 \leq m \lesssim 15$ were identified unambiguously because of their dispersion relation and their long e-folding lifetimes of hundreds of days. Here we simulate the RV oscillations produced by sectoral r modes with $2 \leq m \leq 5$ assuming a stellar rotation period of 25.54 days and a maximum amplitude of the surface velocity of each mode of 2 m/s. This amplitude is representative of the solar measurements, except for the $m=2$ mode which has not yet been observed. Sectoral r modes with azimuthal orders $m=2$ and $3$ would produce RV oscillations with amplitudes of 76.4 and 19.6 cm/s and periods of 19.16 and 10.22 days, respectively, for a star with an inclination of the rotation axis $i=60^{\circ}$. Therefore, they may produce rather sharp peaks in the Fourier spectrum of the radial velocity time series that could lead to spurious planetary detections. Sectoral r~modes may represent a source of confusion in the case of slowly rotating inactive stars that are preferential targets for RV planet search. The main limitation of the present investigation is the lack of observational constraint on the amplitude of the $m=2$ mode on the Sun.Comment: 7 pages; 4 figures; 1 table; accepted to Astronomy & Astrophysic

Autonomous planning tool for changeable assembly systems

Car manufacturers are expected to start series production of fuel cell vehicles within the next years. Simultaneously, other industries are pushing towards the utilization of fuel cells. Fuel cell manufacturers need to scale up production at the right time and react to changing product requirements with the ideal level and point of changeability. This complex task requires methods and tools for decision support. The authors present SkaliA, an autonomous planning tool, which generates guidelines for the efficient use of change enablers specific to an assembly system. The planning tool is demonstrated on the example of an assembly system for high pressure valves used in fuel cell applications

Le domande più frequenti sui terremoti

Le domande più frequenti sui terremoti messe in rete in occasione del Terremoto di Colfiorito sulla base dei mail degli utenti che arrivavano sul sito web dell'IN

Microscopic description of Coulomb and nuclear excitation of multiphonon states in 40^{40}Ca + 40^{40}Ca collisions

We calculate the inelastic scattering cross sections to populate one- and two-phonon states in heavy ion collisions with both Coulomb and nuclear excitations. Starting from a microscopic approach based on RPA, we go beyond it in order to treat anharmonicities and non-linear terms in the exciting field. These anharmonicities and non-linearities are shown to have important effects on the cross sections both in the low energy part of the spectrum and in the energy region of the Double Giant Quadrupole Resonance. By properly introducing an optical potential the inelastic cross section is calculated semiclassically by integrating the excitation probability over all impact parameters. A satisfactory agreement with the experimental results is obtained.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures, revtex, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Searching for star-planet magnetic interaction in CoRoT observations

Close-in massive planets interact with their host stars through tidal and magnetic mechanisms. In this paper, we review circumstantial evidence for star-planet interaction as revealed by the photospheric magnetic activity in some of the CoRoT planet-hosting stars, notably CoRoT-2, CoRoT-4, and CoRoT-6. The phenomena are discussed in the general framework of activity-induced features in stars accompanied by hot Jupiters. The theoretical mechanisms proposed to explain the activity enhancements possibly related with hot Jupiter are also briefly reviewed with an emphasis on the possible effects at photospheric level. The unique advantages of CoRoT and Kepler observations to test these models are pointed out.Comment: Invited review paper accepted by Astrophysics and Space Science, 13 pages, 5 figure

First Experience in the Mass Production of Components for the LHC Dipoles

This paper reports on the manufacturing features and difficulties experienced for the preliminary mass production of the main mechanical components of the dipole cold mass. The production of about 600 km of superconducting coil copper wedges, 5'000 coil layer jump spacers and boxes, 12'500'000 austenitic steel collars and 5'800'000 low-carbon yoke laminations is spread over 4 European countries and involves 6 manufactory firms. The general technical requirements for the manufacturing process as well as the imposed production checks and quality controls are reviewed. An overview of the preliminary results is presented with an outlook towards the analysis and statistical which are in a process to be implemented for the follow-up of the mass production

Aplicação de marcadores moleculares no melhoramento genético.

O melhoramento genetico tem sido um dos grandes responsaveis pelos avancos na agricultura, com o desenvolvimento de cultivares superiores, quer pela maior produtividade, quer pela melhor adaptacao aos ambientes adversos. O sucesso de um programa de melhoramento genetico depende fundamentalmente de algumas etapas como a escolha de genitores que produzam individuos com a melhor combinacao de alelos favoraveis e a selecao de genotipos superiores em populacoes segregantes. Uma potente ferramenta para auxiliar o melhoramento sao os marcadores moleculares, que fornecem um numero ilimitado de polimorfismos com base do DNA e sao independentes dos efeitos ambientais e do estadio fisiologico da planta, permitindo a identificacao precoce e precisa de individuos com uma melhor combinacao de elelos favoraveis. Os avancos nas tecnicas moleculares, na bioinformatica e na genetica quantitativa tem contribuido de forma sinergistica para o atual nivel de conhecimentos sobre a estrutura genetica de varias especies cultivadas e silvestres. Assim, varias sao as aplicacoes dos marcadores moleculares, tanto para auxiliar programas de melhoramento, quanto em estudos de variabilidade genetica, identificacao de cultivares, protecao dos direitos do melhorista, avaliacao da pureza genetica de sementes, mapeamento genetico e ampliacao dos conhecimentos na organizacao dos genomas

Signatures of Star-planet interactions

Planets interact with their host stars through gravity, radiation and magnetic fields, and for those giant planets that orbit their stars within $\sim$10 stellar radii ($\sim$0.1 AU for a sun-like star), star-planet interactions (SPI) are observable with a wide variety of photometric, spectroscopic and spectropolarimetric studies. At such close distances, the planet orbits within the sub-alfv\'enic radius of the star in which the transfer of energy and angular momentum between the two bodies is particularly efficient. The magnetic interactions appear as enhanced stellar activity modulated by the planet as it orbits the star rather than only by stellar rotation. These SPI effects are informative for the study of the internal dynamics and atmospheric evolution of exoplanets. The nature of magnetic SPI is modeled to be strongly affected by both the stellar and planetary magnetic fields, possibly influencing the magnetic activity of both, as well as affecting the irradiation and even the migration of the planet and rotational evolution of the star. As phase-resolved observational techniques are applied to a large statistical sample of hot Jupiter systems, extensions to other tightly orbiting stellar systems, such as smaller planets close to M dwarfs become possible. In these systems, star-planet separations of tens of stellar radii begin to coincide with the radiative habitable zone where planetary magnetic fields are likely a necessary condition for surface habitability.Comment: Accepted for publication in the handbook of exoplanet