208 research outputs found
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis with Long Lived Charged Massive Particles
We consider Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) with long lived charged massive
particles. Before decaying, the long lived charged particle recombines with a
light element to form a bound state like a hydrogen atom. This effect modifies
the nuclear reaction rates during the BBN epoch through the modifications of
the Coulomb field and the kinematics of the captured light elements, which can
change the light element abundances. It is possible that the heavier nuclei
abundances such as Li and Be decrease sizably, while the ratios ,
D/H, and He/H remain unchanged. This may solve the current discrepancy
between the BBN prediction and the observed abundance of Li. If future
collider experiments found signals of a long-lived charged particle inside the
detector, the information of its lifetime and decay properties could provide
insights to understand not only the particle physics models but also the
phenomena in the early universe in turn.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, published version in Physical Review
Pressure-induced phase transition of Bi2Te3 into the bcc structure
The pressure-induced phase transition of bismuth telluride, Bi2Te3, has been
studied by synchrotron x-ray diffraction measurements at room temperature using
a diamond-anvil cell (DAC) with loading pressures up to 29.8 GPa. We found a
high-pressure body-centered cubic (bcc) phase in Bi2Te3 at 25.2 GPa, which is
denoted as phase IV, and this phase apperars above 14.5 GPa. Upon releasing the
pressure from 29.8 GPa, the diffraction pattern changes with pressure
hysteresis. The original rhombohedral phase is recovered at 2.43 GPa. The bcc
structure can explain the phase IV peaks. We assumed that the structural model
of phase IV is analogous to a substitutional binary alloy; the Bi and Te atoms
are distributed in the bcc-lattice sites with space group Im-3m. The results of
Rietveld analysis based on this model agree well with both the experimental
data and calculated results. Therefore, the structure of phase IV in Bi2Te3 can
be explained by a solid solution with a bcc lattice in the Bi-Te (60 atomic%
tellurium) binary system.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
Bonobos and chimpanzees remember familiar conspecifics for decades
Funding: We are grateful to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) for core financial support to the RZSS Edinburgh Zoo’s Budongo Research Unit where this project was carried out.Recognition and memory of familiar conspecifics provides the foundation for complex sociality and is vital to navigating an unpredictable social world [Tibbetts and Dale, Trends Ecol. Evol. 22 , 529–537 (2007)]. Human social memory incorporates content about interactions and relationships and can last for decades [Sherry and Schacter, Psychol. Rev. 94 , 439–454 (1987)]. Long-term social memory likely played a key role throughout human evolution, as our ancestors increasingly built relationships that operated across distant space and time [Malone et al., Int. J. Primatol. 33 , 1251–1277 (2012)]. Although individual recognition is widespread among animals and sometimes lasts for years, little is known about social memory in nonhuman apes and the shared evolutionary foundations of human social memory. In a preferential-looking eye-tracking task, we presented chimpanzees and bonobos (N = 26) with side-by-side images of a previous groupmate and a conspecific stranger of the same sex. Apes’ attention was biased toward former groupmates, indicating long-term memory for past social partners. The strength of biases toward former groupmates was not impacted by the duration apart, and our results suggest that recognition may persist for at least 26 y beyond separation. We also found significant but weak evidence that, like humans, apes may remember the quality or content of these past relationships: apes’ looking biases were stronger for individuals with whom they had more positive histories of social interaction. Long-lasting social memory likely provided key foundations for the evolution of human culture and sociality as they extended across time, space, and group boundaries.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
Simulation of I-V Hysteresis Branches in An Intrinsic Stack of Josephson Junctions in High Superconductors
I-V characteristics of the high T superconductor
BiSrCaCO shows a strong hysteresis, producing many
branches. The origin of hysteresis jumps is studied by use of the model of
multi-layered Josephson junctions proposed by one of the authors (T. K.). The
charging effect at superconducting layers produces a coupling between the next
nearest neighbor phase-differences, which determines the structure of
hysteresis branches. It will be shown that a solution of phase motions is
understood as a combination of rotating and oscillating phase-differences, and
that, at points of hysteresis jumps, there occurs a change in the number of
rotating phase-differences. Effects of dissipation are analyzed. The
dissipation in insulating layers works to damp the phase motion itself, while
the dissipation in superconducting layers works to damp relative motions of
phase-differences. Their effects to hysteresis jumps are discussed.Comment: 18 pages, Latex, 8 figures. To be appear in Phys.Rev.B Vol.60(1999
Lightest-neutralino decays in R_p-violating models with dominant lambda^{prime} and lambda couplings
Decays of the lightest neutralino are studied in R_p-violating models with
operators lambda^{prime} L Q D^c and lambda L L E^c involving third-generation
matter fields and with dominant lambda^{prime} and lambda couplings.
Generalizations to decays of the lightest neutralino induced by subdominant
lambda^{prime} and lambda couplings are straightforward. Decays with the
top-quark among the particles produced are considered, in addition to those
with an almost massless final state. Phenomenological analyses for examples of
both classes of decays are presented. No specific assumption on the composition
of the lightest neutralino is made, and the formulae listed here can be easily
generalized to study decays of heavier neutralinos. It has been recently
pointed out that, for a sizable coupling lambda^{prime}_{333}, tau-sleptons may
be copiously produced at the LHC as single supersymmetric particles, in
association with top- and bottom-quark pairs. This analysis of neutralino
decays is, therefore, a first step towards the reconstruction of the complete
final state produced in this case.Comment: 40 pages, 11 figures, version to appear in JHE
The Infrared Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) for TMT: Instrument Overview
We present an overview of the design of IRIS, an infrared (0.84 - 2.4 micron)
integral field spectrograph and imaging camera for the Thirty Meter Telescope
(TMT). With extremely low wavefront error (<30 nm) and on-board wavefront
sensors, IRIS will take advantage of the high angular resolution of the narrow
field infrared adaptive optics system (NFIRAOS) to dissect the sky at the
diffraction limit of the 30-meter aperture. With a primary spectral resolution
of 4000 and spatial sampling starting at 4 milliarcseconds, the instrument will
create an unparalleled ability to explore high redshift galaxies, the Galactic
center, star forming regions and virtually any astrophysical object. This paper
summarizes the entire design and basic capabilities. Among the design
innovations is the combination of lenslet and slicer integral field units, new
4Kx4k detectors, extremely precise atmospheric dispersion correction, infrared
wavefront sensors, and a very large vacuum cryogenic system.Comment: Proceedings of the SPIE, 9147-76 (2014
SuperWIMP Dark Matter Signals from the Early Universe
Cold dark matter may be made of superweakly-interacting massive particles,
superWIMPs, that naturally inherit the desired relic density from late decays
of metastable WIMPs. Well-motivated examples are weak-scale gravitinos in
supergravity and Kaluza-Klein gravitons from extra dimensions. These particles
are impossible to detect in all dark matter experiments. We find, however, that
superWIMP dark matter may be discovered through cosmological signatures from
the early universe. In particular, superWIMP dark matter has observable
consequences for Big Bang nucleosynthesis and the cosmic microwave background
(CMB), and may explain the observed underabundance of 7Li without upsetting the
concordance between deuterium and CMB baryometers. We discuss implications for
future probes of CMB black body distortions and collider searches for new
particles. In the course of this study, we also present a model-independent
analysis of entropy production from late-decaying particles in light of WMAP
data.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures, typos correcte
Ethical dilemmas and validity issues related to the use of new cooling technologies and early recognition of exertional heat illness in sport
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is expected to be among the hottest Games in modern history, increasing the chances for exertional heat stroke (EHS) incidence, especially in non-acclimatised athletes/workers/spectators. The urgent need to recognise EHS symptoms to protect all attendees'' health has considerably accelerated research examining the most effective cooling strategies and the development of wearable cooling technology and real-time temperature monitoring. While these technological advances will aid the early identification of EHS cases, there are several potential ethical considerations for governing bodies and sports organisers. For example, the impact of recently developed cooling wearables on health and performance is unknown. Concerning improving athletic performance in a hot environment, there is uncertainty about this technology''s availability to all athletes. Furthermore, the real potential to obtain real-time core temperature data will oblige medical teams to make crucial decisions around their athletes continuing their competitions or withdraw. Therefore, the aim of this review is (1) to summarise the practical applications of the most novel cooling strategies/technologies for both safety (of athletes, spectators and workers) and performance purposes, and (2) to inform of the opportunities offered by recent technological developments for the early recognition and diagnosis of EHS. These opportunities are presented alongside several ethical dilemmas that require sports governing bodies to react by regulating the validity of recent technologies and their availability to all
Hot water immersion induces an acute cytokine response in cervical spinal cord injury
Purpose: The dysfunctional sympathetic nervous system in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) impairs adrenergic responses and may, therefore, contribute to the blunted post-exercise cytokine response. The purpose of this study was to investigate an alternative way to exercise to induce an acute cytokine response by passive core temperature elevation in CSCI.
Methods: Seven male participants with a motor complete CSCI and 8 male able-bodied controls were immersed for 60 min in water set at a temperature 2 °C above the individuals’ resting oesophageal temperature. Blood was collected pre, post, and every hour up to 4 h post-immersion.
Results: Hot water immersion resulted in an IL-6 plasma concentration mean increase of 133 ± 144 % in both groups (P = 0.001). On a group level, IL-6 plasma concentrations were 68 ± 38 % higher in CSCI (P = 0.06). In both groups, IL-8 increased by 14 ± 11 % (P = 0.02) and IL-1ra by 18 ± 17 % (P = 0.05). Catecholamine plasma concentrations were significantly reduced in CSCI (P < 0.05) and did not increase following immersion.
Conclusions: Passive elevation of core temperature acutely elevates IL-6, IL-8 and IL-1ra in CSCI despite a blunted adrenergic response, which is in contrast to earlier exercise interventions in CSCI. The present study lays the foundation for future studies to explore water immersion as an alternative to exercise to induce an acute cytokine response in CSCI
Graviton Cosmology in Universal Extra Dimensions
In models of universal extra dimensions, gravity and all standard model
fields propagate in the extra dimensions. Previous studies of such models have
concentrated on the Kaluza-Klein (KK) partners of standard model particles.
Here we determine the properties of the KK gravitons and explore their
cosmological implications. We find the lifetimes of decays to KK gravitons, of
relevance for the viability of KK gravitons as dark matter. We then discuss the
primordial production of KK gravitons after reheating. The existence of a tower
of KK graviton states makes such production extremely efficient: for reheat
temperature T_RH and d extra dimensions, the energy density stored in gravitons
scales as T_RH^{2+3d/2}. Overclosure and Big Bang nucleosynthesis therefore
stringently constrain T_RH in all universal extra dimension scenarios. At the
same time, there is a window of reheat temperatures low enough to avoid these
constraints and high enough to generate the desired thermal relic density for
KK WIMP and superWIMP dark matter.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figur
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