Signatures of hermitian forms and the Knebusch Trace Formula

Signatures of quadratic forms have been generalized to hermitian forms over algebras with involution. In the literature this is done via Morita theory, which causes sign ambiguities in certain cases. In this paper, a hermitian version of the Knebusch Trace Formula is established and used as a main tool to resolve these ambiguities. The last page is an erratum for the published version. We inadvertently (I) gave an incorrect definition of adjoint involutions; (II) omitted dealing with the case $(H\times H, \widehat{\phantom{m}}\,)$. As $W(H\times H, \widehat{\phantom{m}}\,)= W(R\times R, \widehat{\phantom{m}}\,)=0$, the omission does not affect our reasoning or our results. For the sake of completeness we point out where some small changes should be made in the published version.Comment: This is the final version before publication. The last page is an updated erratum for the published versio

Division, adjoints, and dualities of bilinear maps

The distributive property can be studied through bilinear maps and various morphisms between these maps. The adjoint-morphisms between bilinear maps establish a complete abelian category with projectives and admits a duality. Thus the adjoint category is not a module category but nevertheless it is suitably familiar. The universal properties have geometric perspectives. For example, products are orthogonal sums. The bilinear division maps are the simple bimaps with respect to nondegenerate adjoint-morphisms. That formalizes the understanding that the atoms of linear geometries are algebraic objects with no zero-divisors. Adjoint-isomorphism coincides with principal isotopism; hence, nonassociative division rings can be studied within this framework. This also corrects an error in an earlier pre-print; see Remark 2.11

The rate of water vapor evaporation from ice substrates in the presence of HCl and HBr: implications for the lifetime of atmospheric ice particles

International audienceUsing a multidiagnostic approach the rate Rev [ molec cm-3 s-1] or flux Jev [ molec cm-2 s-1] of evaporation of H2O and its corresponding rate constant for condensation, kcond [s-1 ], on a 1 µm thick ice film have been studied in the temperature range 190 to 240 K as well as in the presence of small amounts of HCl and HBr that left the vapor pressure of H2O on ice unchanged. The resulting Arrhenius expressions for pure ice are Jev = 1.6 · 10 28 ± 1 · exp (- 10.3 ± 1.2/ RT) [ molec cm-2 s-1] , kcond = 1.7 · 10 - 2 ± 1 · exp (+ 1.6 ± 1.5/ RT ) [s -1], in the presence of a HCl mole fraction in the range 3.2 · 10 - 5 - 6.4 · 10 - 3 : Jev = 6.4 · 10 26 ± 1 · exp (- 9.7 ± 1.2/ RT) [ molec cm-2 s-1] , kcond = 2.8 · 10 - 2 ± 1 · exp ( + 1.5 ± 1.6 /RT) [s -1], and a HBr mole fraction smaller than 6.4 · 10 - 3 : Jev = 7.4 · 10 25 ± 1 · exp ( - 9.1 ± 1.2 /RT) [ molec cm-2 s-1] , kcond = 7.1 · 10 - 5 ± 1 · exp (+ 2.6 ± 1.5/ RT) [s -1]. The small negative activation energy for H2O condensation on ice points to a precursor mechanism. The corresponding enthalpy of sublimation is DHsubl = Eev - Econd = 11.9 ± 2.7 kcal mol-1 , DHsubl = 11.2 ± 2.8 kcal mol-1, and DHsubl = 11.7 ± 2.8 kcal mol-1 whose values are identical within experimental uncertainty to the accepted literature value of 12.3 kcal mol-1 . Interferometric data at 633 nm and FTIR absorption spectra in transmission support the kinetic results. The data are consistent with a significant lifetime enhancement for HCl- and HBr-contaminated ice particles by a factor of 3?6 and 10?20, respectively, for submonolayer coverages of HX once the fraction of the ice not contaminated by HX has evaporated

SONTRAC: an imaging spectrometer for solar neutrons

An instrument capable of unambiguously determining the energy and direction of incident neutrons has important applications in solar physics-as well as environmental monitoring and medical/radiological sciences. The SONTRAC (SOlar Neutron TRACking) instrument is designed to operate in the neutron energy range of 20-250 MeV. The measurement principle is based on non-relativistic double scatter of neutrons off ambient protons (n-p scattering) within a block of densely packed scintillating fibers. Using this double-scatter mode it is possible to uniquely determine neutron energy and direction on an event-by-event basis. A fully operational science model of such an instrument has been built using 300 μm (250 μm active) scintillating fibers. The science model consists of a 5×5×5 cm cube of orthogonal plastic scintillating fiber layers. Two orthogonal imaging chains, employing image intensifiers and CCD cameras, allow full 3-dimensional reconstruction of scattered proton particle tracks. We report the results of the science model instrument calibration using 35-65 MeV protons. The proton calibration is the first step toward understanding the instrument response to n-p scatter events. Preliminary results give proton energy resolution of 2% (6%) at 67.5 (35) MeV, and angular resolution of 2° (4.5°) at 67.5 (35) MeV. These measurements are being used to validate detailed instrument simulations that will be used to optimize the instrument design and develop quantitative estimates of science return. Based on the proton calibration, neutron energy and angular resolution for a 10×10×10 cm version of SONTRAC is expected to be ~5% an

An Improved Model for Relativistic Solar Proton Acceleration applied to the 2005 January 20 and Earlier Events

This paper presents results on modelling the ground level response of the higher energy protons for the 2005 January 20 ground level enhancement (GLE). This event, known as GLE 69, produced the highest intensity of relativistic solar particles since the famous event on 1956 February 23. The location of recent X-ray and gamma-ray emission (N14 W61) was near to Sun-Earth connecting magnetic field lines, thus providing the opportunity to directly observe the acceleration source from Earth. We restrict our analysis to protons of energy greater than 450 MeV to avoid complications arising from transport processes that can affect the propagation of low energy protons. In light of this revised approach we have reinvestigated two previous GLEs: those of 2000 July 14 (GLE 59) and 2001 April 15 (GLE 60). Within the limitations of the spectral forms employed, we find that from the peak (06:55 UT) to the decline (07:30 UT) phases of GLE 69, neutron monitor observations from 450 MeV to 10 GeV are best fitted by the Gallegos-Cruz & Perez-Peraza stochastic acceleration model. In contrast, the Ellison & Ramaty spectra did not fit the neutron monitor observations as well. This result suggests that for GLE 69, a stochastic process cannot be discounted as a mechanism for relativistic particle acceleration, particularly during the initial stages of this solar event. For GLE 59 we find evidence that more than one acceleration mechanism was present, consistent with both shock and stochastic acceleration processes dominating at different times of the event. For GLE 60 we find that Ellison & Ramaty spectra better represent the neutron monitor observations compared to stochastic acceleration spectra. The results for GLEs 59 and 60 are in agreement with our previous work.Comment: 42 pages, 10 figures, 10 tables, published in ApJ, August 200

Development and performance of the Fast Neutron Imaging Telescope for SNM detection

FNIT (the Fast Neutron Imaging Telescope), a detector with both imaging and energy measurement capabilities, sensitive to neutrons in the range 0.8-20 MeV, was initially conceived to study solar neutrons as a candidate design for the Inner Heliosphere Sentinel (IHS) spacecraft of NASA\u27s Solar Sentinels program and successively reconfigured to locate fission neutron sources. By accurately identifying the position of the source with imaging techniques and reconstructing the Watt spectrum of fission neutrons, FNIT can detect samples of special nuclear material (SNM), including heavily shielded and masked ones. The detection principle is based on multiple elastic neutron-proton scatterings in organic scintillators. By reconstructing n-p event locations and sequence and measuring the recoil proton energies, the direction and energy spectrum of the primary neutron flux can be determined and neutron sources identified. We describe the design of the FNIT prototype and present its energy reconstruction and imaging performance, assessed by exposing FNIT to a neutron beam and to a Pu fission neutron source

Hepatitis with Fibrin-Ring Granulomas

Abstract : We describe a 66-year-old woman hospitalized with fever, fatigue and hepatopathy. In her medical history arterial hypertension (treated with propranolol and lisinopril), diabetes mellitus type 2 (no treatment before admission) and a gout arthropathy were noted wherefore a therapy with allopurinol 300 mg per day has been started 4 months before. Liver biopsy revealed fibrin-ring granulomas, compatible with allopurinolinduced hepatitis. Because of persistence of high fever after stopping allopurinol, steroids (1 mg/kg) were started. Under this treatment, she developed pancytopenia and fever. The bone marrow aspiration revealed Leishmania infantum. A second liver biopsy showed amastigotes and a disappearance of the granulomas. The history revealed a travel to Malta 2 years earlier. Despite adequate treatment with liposomal amphotericin B the patient deteriorated and finally died in septic shoc

Antibiotic Treatment of Experimental Endocarditis Due to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis

The natural history and treatment of experimental endocarditis due to heterogeneous and homogeneous methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis was investigated. Amoxicillin/clavulanate or vancomycin were administered for 3 days via a computerized pump to mimic human drug kinetics in animals. After challenge with the minimum inoculum producing 90% of infections (ID90) , bacteria in the vegetations grew logarithmically for 16 h. Then, bacterial densities stabilized (at ∼108 cfu/g) and growth rates sharply declined. Both regimens cured ⩾60% of endocarditis (due to heterogeneous or homogeneous bacteria) when started 12-16 h after infection, although the bacterial densities in the vegetations had increased by 20 times in between. In contrast, treatment started after 24 h failed in most animals, while bacterial densities had not increased any more. Thus, while both regimens were equivalent, the therapeutic outcome was best predicted by growth rates in the vegetations, not by bacterial densities. These observations highlight the importance of phenotypic tolerance developing in viv

Development of the fast neutron imaging telescope

We report on the development of a next generation neutron telescope, with imaging and energy measurement capabilities, sensitive to neutrons in the 2-20 MeV energy range. The Fast Neutron Imaging Telescope (FNIT) was initially conceived to study solar neutrons as a candidate instrument for the Inner Heliosphere Sentinels (IHS) program under formulation at NASA. This detector is now being adapted to locate Special Nuclear Material (SNM) for homeland security purposes by detecting fission neutrons and reconstructing the image of their source. In either case, the detection principle is based on multiple elastic neutron-proton scatterings in organic scintillator. By reconstructing the scattering coordinates and measuring the recoil proton energy, the direction and energy of each neutron can be determined and discrete neutron sources identified. We describe the performance of the FNIT prototype, report on the current status of R&D efforts and present the results of recent laboratory measurements

Algebraic lattice constellations: bounds on performance

In this work, we give a bound on performance of any full-diversity lattice constellation constructed from algebraic number fields. We show that most of the already available constructions are almost optimal in the sense that any further improvement of the minimum product distance would lead to a negligible coding gain. Furthermore, we discuss constructions, minimum product distance, and bounds for full-diversity complex rotated Z[i]/sup n/-lattices for any dimension n, which avoid the need of component interleaving