488 research outputs found
Low-Cost Flow Visualization for a Supersonic Ejector
Shadowgraph techniques were applied to the cold flow ejector facility at the Propulsion Research Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The setup for the experiments was relatively simple and was accomplished at very little cost. Series of shadowgraph images were taken of both dual nozzle and single nozzle strut based ejectors operating over a range of chamber pressures. The density gradient patterns in the shadowgraphs were compared to pressure data measured along the top and side walls of the mixing duct. The shadowgraph images showed the presence of barrel shocks emanating from the nozzles which at low pressures terminated in Mach disks and at higher pressures extended beyond the barrel shape and reflected off the walls of the duct. Based on pressure data from previous testing, reflected shocks were expected on the walls of the duct. The shadowgraph images confirmed the locations of these reflected shocks on the top wall of the duct. The shadowgraph images also showed the structure change which correlated to a change in pitch of the ejector noise, and corresponded to a change in trend of the duct wall pressure ratio distributions. The images produced from the setup provided insight into the complex flow behavior inside the ejector duct. In addition, the techniques were a valuable tool as an educational device for students
Anomalous modes drive vortex dynamics in confined Bose-Einstein condensates
The dynamics of vortices in trapped Bose-Einstein condensates are
investigated both analytically and numerically. In axially symmetric traps, the
critical rotation frequency for the metastability of an isolated vortex
coincides with the largest vortex precession frequency (or anomalous mode) in
the Bogoliubov excitation spectrum. As the condensate becomes more elongated,
the number of anomalous modes increases. The largest frequency of these modes
exceeds both the thermodynamic critical frequency and the nucleation frequency
at which vortices are created dynamically. Thus, anomalous modes describe not
only the critical rotation frequency for creation of the first vortex in an
elongated condensate but also the vortex precession in a single-component
spherical condensate.Comment: 4 pages revtex, 3 embedded figure
Explore the concept of “light” and its interaction with matter: an inquiry-based science education project in primary school
The exploration process leading to the understanding of physical phenomena, such
as light and its interaction with matter, raises great interest and curiosity in children. However,
in most primary schools, children rarely have the opportunity to conduct science activities in
which they can engage in an enquiry process even if by the action of the teacher. In this
context, we have organised several in-service teacher training courses and carried out several
pedagogic interventions in Portuguese primary schools, with the aim of promoting inquirybased
science education. This article describes one of those projects, developed with a class of
the third grade, which explored the curricular topic “Light Experiments”. Various activities
were planned and implemented, during a total of ten hours spread over five lessons. The
specific objectives of this paper are: to illustrate and analyse the teaching and learning process
promoted in the classroom during the exploration of one of these lessons, and to assess
children’s learning three weeks after the lessons. The results suggest that children made
significant learning which persisted. We conclude discussing some processes that stimulated
children’ learning, including the importance of teacher questioning in scaffolding children's
learning and some didactic implications for teacher training.CIEC – Research Centre on Child Studies, IE, UMinho (FCT R&D unit 317), Portuga
Search for R-parity Violating Supersymmetry in Dimuon and Four-Jets Channel
We present results of a search for R-parity-violating decay of the neutralino
chi_1^0, taken to be the Lightest Supersymmetric Particle. It is assumed that
this decay proceeds through one of the lepton-number violating couplings
lambda-prime_2jk (j=1,2; k=1,2,3). This search is based on 77.5 pb-1 of data,
collected by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron in ppbar collisions at
a center of mass energy of 1.8 TeV in 1992-1995.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
A Quasi-Model-Independent Search for New Physics at Large Transverse Momentum
We apply a quasi-model-independent strategy ("Sleuth") to search for new high
p_T physics in approximately 100 pb^-1 of ppbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV
collected by the DZero experiment during 1992-1996 at the Fermilab Tevatron.
Over thirty-two e mu X, W+jets-like, Z+jets-like, and 3(lepton/photon)X
exclusive final states are systematically analyzed for hints of physics beyond
the standard model. Simultaneous sensitivity to a variety of models predicting
new phenomena at the electroweak scale is demonstrated by testing the method on
a particular signature in each set of final states. No evidence of new high p_T
physics is observed in the course of this search, and we find that 89% of an
ensemble of hypothetical similar experimental runs would have produced a final
state with a candidate signal more interesting than the most interesting
observed in these data.Comment: 28 pages, 17 figures. Submitted to Physical Review
Search for Electroweak Production of Single Top Quarks in ppbar Collisions
We present a search for electroweak production of single top quarks in the
electron+jets and muon+jets decay channels. The measurements use ~90 pb^-1 of
data from Run 1 of the Fermilab Tevatron collider, collected at 1.8 TeV with
the DZero detector between 1992 and 1995. We use events that include a tagging
muon, implying the presence of a b jet, to set an upper limit at the 95%
confidence level on the cross section for the s-channel process ppbar->tb+X of
39 pb. The upper limit for the t-channel process ppbar->tqb+X is 58 pb.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures. This is the published versio
Search for bottom squarks in pbarp collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV
We report on a search for bottom squarks produced in pbarp collisions at
sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV using the D0 detector at Fermilab. Bottom squarks are assumed
to be produced in pairs and to decay to the lightest supersymmetric particle
(LSP) and a b quark with branching fraction of 100%. The LSP is assumed to be
the lightest neutralino and stable. We set limits on the production cross
section as a function of bottom squark mass and LSP mass.Comment: 5 pages, Latex. submitted 3-12-1999 to PRD - Rapid Communicatio
Search for Squarks and Gluinos in Events Containing Jets and a Large Imbalance in Transverse Energy
Using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 79 pb-1, D0 has
searched for events containing multiple jets and large missing transverse
energy in pbar-p collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron
collider. Observing no significant excess beyond what is expected from the
standard model, we set limits on the masses of squarks and gluinos and on the
model parameters m_0 and m_1/2, in the framework of the minimal low-energy
supergravity models of supersymmetry. For tan(beta) = 2 and A_0 = 0, with mu <
0, we exclude all models with m_squark < 250 GeV/c^2. For models with equal
squark and gluino masses, we exclude m < 260 GeV/c^2.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, Submitted to PRL, Fixed typo on page bottom of
p. 6 (QCD multijet background is 35.4 events
Direct Search for Charged Higgs Bosons in Decays of Top Quarks
We present a search for charged Higgs bosons in decays of pair-produced top
quarks in pbar p collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV using 62.2 pb^-1 of data
recorded by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. No evidence is
found for signal, and we exclude at 95% confidence most regions of the (M
higgs, tan beta) parameter space where the decay t->H b has a branching
fraction greater than 0.36 and B(H -> tau nu) is large.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Search for Second Generation Leptoquark Pairs in pbar-p Collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV
We have searched for second generation leptoquark (LQ) pairs in the
\mu\mu+jets channel using 94+-5 pb^{-1} of pbar-p collider data collected by
the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron during 1993-1996. No evidence for a
signal is observed. These results are combined with those from the \mu\nu+jets
and \nu\nu+jets channels to obtain 95% confidence level (C.L.) upper limits on
the LQ pair production cross section as a function of mass and $beta, the
branching fraction of a LQ decay into a charged lepton and a quark. Lower
limits of 200(180) GeV/c^2 for \beta=1(1/2) are set at the 95% C.L. on the mass
of scalar LQ. Mass limits are also set on vector leptoquarks as a function of
\beta.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
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