5,220 research outputs found
Design of a high-intensity RFQ for a possible LHC laser ion source
We have designed a 100 MHz RFQ to accelerate Pb25+ ions from 9.6 keV/u to 250 keV/u for the LHC ion program. We assume an input beam from a laser ion source with a total beam current of 90 mA, out of which 9 mA is Pb25+. The main challenge of the design is to match the tight longitudinal acceptance of the downstream Interdigital H structure while dealing with a high intensity beam composed of a variety of charge states. In this paper, we present a baseline setup optimized for nominal conditions, and show the sensitivity of the RFQ performance to varying input beam characteristics and rf parameters. Further studies will cover the compatibility of this design with an upgraded ECR source under investigation at CERN
LIBERAL EGALITARIANISM AND THE HARM PRINCIPLE
We analyse the implications of classical liberal and libertarian approaches for distributive justice
in the context of social welfare orderings. We study an axiom capturing a liberal non-interfering
view of society, Weak Harm Principle, whose roots can be traced back to John Stuart Mill. We
show that liberal views of individual autonomy and freedom can provide consistent foundations
for welfare judgements. In particular, a liberal non-interfering approach can help to adjudicate
some fundamental distributive issues relative to intergenerational justice. However, a strong
relation is established between liberal views of individual autonomy and non-interference, and
egalitarian principles in the Rawlsian tradition
The VISTA Orion mini-survey: star formation in the Lynds 1630 North cloud
The Orion cloud complex presents a variety of star formation mechanisms and
properties and it is still one of the most intriguing targets for star
formation studies. We present VISTA/VIRCAM near-infrared observations of the
L1630N star forming region, including the stellar clusters NGC 2068 and NGC
2071, in the Orion molecular cloud B and discuss them in combination with
Spitzer data. We select 186 young stellar object (YSO) candidates in the region
on the basis of multi-colour criteria, confirm the YSO nature of the majority
of them using published spectroscopy from the literature, and use this sample
to investigate the overall star formation properties in L1630N. The K-band
luminosity function of L1630N is remarkably similar to that of the Trapezium
cluster, i.e., it presents a broad peak in the range 0.3-0.7 M and a
fraction of sub-stellar objects of 20%. The fraction of YSOs still
surrounded by disk/envelopes is very high (85%) compared to other star
forming regions of similar age (1-2 Myr), but includes some uncertain
corrections for diskless YSOs. Yet, a possibly high disk fraction together with
the fact that 1/3 of the cloud mass has a gas surface density above the
threshold for star formation (129 M pc), points towards a
still on-going star formation activity in L1630N. The star formation efficiency
(SFE), star formation rate (SFR) and density of star formation of L1630N are
within the ranges estimated for galactic star forming regions by the Spitzer
"core to disk" and "Gould's Belt" surveys. However, the SFE and SFR are lower
than the average value measured in the Orion A cloud and, in particular, lower
than that in the southern regions of L1630. This might suggest different star
formation mechanisms within the L1630 cloud complex.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure
Searching for life in the Universe: unconventional methods for an unconventional problem
The search for life, on and off our planet, can be done by conventional methods with which we are all familiar. These methods are sensitive and specific, and are often capable of detecting even single cells. However, if the search broadens to include life that may be different (even subtly different) in composition, the methods and even the approach must be altered. Here we discuss the development of what we call non-earthcentric life detection – detecting life with methods that could detect life no matter what its form or composition. To develop these methods, we simply ask, can we define life in terms of its general properties and particularly those that can be measured and quantified? Taking such an approach we can search for life using physics and chemistry to ask questions about structure, chemical composition, thermodynamics, and kinetics. Structural complexity can be searched for using computer algorithms that recognize complex structures. Once identified, these structures can be examined for a variety of chemical traits, including elemental composition, chirality, and complex chemistry. A second approach involves defining our environment in terms of energy sources (i.e., reductants), and oxidants (e.g. what is available to eat and breathe), and then looking for areas in which such phenomena are inexplicably out of chemical equilibrium. These disequilibria, when found, can then be examined in detail for the presence of the structural and chemical complexity that presumably characterizes any living systems. By this approach, we move the search for life to one that should facilitate the detection of any earthly life it encountered, as well as any non-conventional life forms that have structure, complex chemistry, and live via some form of redox chemistry
The Porcupine Survey: A Distributed Survey and WISE Followup
Spitzer post-cryogen observations to perform a moderate depth survey distributed around the sky are proposed. Field centers are chosen to be WISE brown dwarf candidates, which will typically be 160 µJy at 4.7 µm and randomly distributed around the sky. The Spitzer observations will give much higher sensitivity, higher angular resolution, and a time baseline to measure both proper motions and possibly parallaxes. The distance and velocity data obtained on the WISE brown dwarf candidates will greatly improve our knowledge of the mass and age distribution of brown dwarfs. The outer parts of the Spitzer fields surrounding the WISE positions will provide a deep survey in many narrow fields of view distributed around the sky, and the volume of this survey will contain many more distant brown dwarfs, and many extragalactic objects
Shapes and Shears, Stars and Smears: Optimal Measurements for Weak Lensing
We present the theoretical and analytical bases of optimal techniques to
measure weak gravitational shear from images of galaxies. We first characterize
the geometric space of shears and ellipticity, then use this geometric
interpretation to analyse images. The steps of this analysis include:
measurement of object shapes on images, combining measurements of a given
galaxy on different images, estimating the underlying shear from an ensemble of
galaxy shapes, and compensating for the systematic effects of image distortion,
bias from PSF asymmetries, and `"dilution" of the signal by the seeing. These
methods minimize the ellipticity measurement noise, provide calculable shear
uncertainty estimates, and allow removal of systematic contamination by PSF
effects to arbitrary precision. Galaxy images and PSFs are decomposed into a
family of orthogonal 2d Gaussian-based functions, making the PSF correction and
shape measurement relatively straightforward and computationally efficient. We
also discuss sources of noise-induced bias in weak lensing measurements and
provide a solution for these and previously identified biases.Comment: Version accepted to AJ. Minor fixes, plus a simpler method of shape
weighting. Version with full vector figures available via
http://www.astro.lsa.umich.edu/users/garyb/PUBLICATIONS
Phase Rotation, Cooling And Acceleration Of Muon Beams: A Comparison Of Different Approaches
Experimental and theoretical activities are underway at CERN with the aim of
examining the feasibility of a very-high-flux neutrino source. In the present
scheme, a high-power proton beam (some 4 MW) bombards a target where pions are
produced. The pions are collected and decay to muons under controlled optical
condition. The muons are cooled and accelerated to a final energy of 50 GeV
before being injected into a decay ring where they decay under well-defined
conditions of energy and emittance.
We present the most challenging parts of the whole scenario, the muon
capture, the ionisation-cooling and the first stage of the muon acceleration.
Different schemes, their performance and the technical challenges are compared.Comment: LINAC 2000 CONFERENCE, paper ID No. THC1
Quasars and Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies: At the Limit?
We have detected the host galaxies of 16 nearby, radio-quiet quasars using
images obtained with the Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer
(NICMOS). We confirm that these luminous quasars tend to live in luminous,
early-type host galaxies, and we use the host-galaxy magnitudes to refine the
luminosity/host-mass limit inferred from ground-based studies. If quasars obey
the relation found for massive dark
objects in nonactive galaxies, then our analysis implies that they radiate at
up to of the Eddington rate. An analogous analysis for ultraluminous
infrared galaxies shows them to accrete at up to similar Eddington fractions,
consistent with the hypothesis that some of them are powered by embedded
quasars.Comment: 9 pages, includes 2 eps figs, accepted to ApJLet
- …