1,322 research outputs found
Conformal Symmetry and Duality between Free Particle, H-atom and Harmonic Oscillator
We establish a duality between the free massless relativistic particle in d
dimensions, the non-relativistic hydrogen atom (1/r potential) in (d-1) space
dimensions, and the harmonic oscillator in (d-2) space dimensions with its mass
given as the lightcone momentum of an additional dimension. The duality is in
the sense that the classical action of these systems are gauge fixed forms of
the same worldline gauge theory action at the classical level, and they are all
described by the same unitary representation of the conformal group SO(d,2) at
the quantum level. The worldline action has a gauge symmetry Sp(2) which treats
canonical variables (x,p) as doublets and exists only with a target spacetime
that has d spacelike dimensions and two timelike dimensions. This spacetime is
constrained due to the gauge symmetry, and the various dual solutions
correspond to solutions of the constraints with different topologies. For
example, for the H-atom the two timelike dimensions X^{0'},X^{0} live on a
circle. The model provides an example of how realistic physics can be viewed as
existing in a larger covariant space that includes two timelike coordinates,
and how the covariance in the larger space unifies different looking physics
into a single system.Comment: Latex, 23 pages, minor improvements. In v3 a better gauge choice for
u for the H-atom is made; the results are the sam
Gauge symmetry in phase space with spin, a basis for conformal symmetry and duality among many interactions
We show that a simple OSp(1/2) worldline gauge theory in 0-brane phase space
(X,P), with spin degrees of freedom, formulated for a d+2 dimensional spacetime
with two times X^0,, X^0', unifies many physical systems which ordinarily are
described by a 1-time formulation. Different systems of 1-time physics emerge
by choosing gauges that embed ordinary time in d+2 dimensions in different
ways. The embeddings have different topology and geometry for the choice of
time among the d+2 dimensions. Thus, 2-time physics unifies an infinite number
of 1-time physical interacting systems, and establishes a kind of duality among
them. One manifestation of the two times is that all of these physical systems
have the same quantum Hilbert space in the form of a unique representation of
SO(d,2) with the same Casimir eigenvalues. By changing the number n of spinning
degrees of freedom the gauge group changes to OSp(n/2). Then the eigenvalue of
the Casimirs of SO(d,2) depend on n and then the content of the 1-time physical
systems that are unified in the same representation depend on n. The models we
study raise new questions about the nature of spacetime.Comment: Latex, 42 pages. v2 improvements in AdS section. In v3 sec.6.2 is
modified; the more general potential is limited to a smaller clas
In vivo selection of Plasmodium falciparum parasites carrying the chloroquine-susceptible pfcrt K76 allele after treatment with artemether-lumefantrine in Africa
Background: Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) is a major and highly effective artemisinin-based combination therapy that is becoming increasingly important as a new first-line therapy against Plasmodium falciparum malaria. However, recrudescences occurring after AL treatment have been reported. Identification of drug-specific parasite determinants that contribute to treatment failures will provide important tools for the detection and surveillance of AL resistance.
Methods: The findings from a 42-day follow-up efficacy trial in Tanzania that compared AL with sulfadoxinepyrimethamine (SP) were analyzed to identify candidate markers for lumefantrine tolerance/resistance in the chloroquine resistance transporter gene (pfcrt) and multidrug resistance gene 1 (pfmdr1). The findings were corroborated in vitro with genetically modified isogenic P. falciparum parasite lines.
Results: Treatment with AL selected for the chloroquine-susceptible pfcrt K76 allele (P \u3c .0001) and, to a lesser extent, the pfmdr1 N86 (P = .048) allele among recurrent infections. These genotypes were not selected during SP treatment. No pfmdr1 gene amplifications were observed. Isogenic pfcrt-modified parasite lines demonstrated a 2-fold increase in susceptibility to lumefantrine, which was directly attributable to the K76T mutation.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the pfcrt K76T mutation is a drug-specific contributor to enhanced P. falciparum susceptibility to lumefantrine in vivo and in vitro, and they highlight the benefit of using AL in areas affected by chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum malaria. © 2009 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved
Plasmodium falciparum Drug Resistance Genes pfmdr1 and pfcrt In Vivo Co-Expression During Artemether-Lumefantrine Therapy
Background: Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the global mainstay treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum infections. PfMDR1 and PfCRT are two transmembrane transporters, associated with sensitivity to several antimalarials, found in the parasite food vacuole. Herein, we explore if their relatedness extends to overlapping patterns of gene transcriptional activity before and during ACT administration.Methods: In a clinical trial performed in Tanzania, we explored the pfmdr1 and pfcrt transcription levels from 48 patients with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria infections who underwent treatment with artemether-lumefantrine (AL). Samples analyzed were collected before treatment initiation and during the first 24 h of treatment. The frequency of PfMDR1 N86Y and PfCRT K76T was determined through PCR-RFLP or direct amplicon sequencing. Gene expression was analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR.Results: A wide range of pre-treatment expression levels was observed for both genes, approximately 10-fold for pfcrt and 50-fold for pfmdr1. In addition, a significant positive correlation demonstrates pfmdr1 and pfcrt co-expression. After AL treatment initiation, pfmdr1 and pfcrt maintained the positive co-expression correlation, with mild downregulation throughout the 24 h post-treatment. Additionally, a trend was observed for PfMDR1 N86 alleles and higher expression before treatment initiation.Conclusion: pfmdr1 and pfcrt showed significant co-expression patterns in vivo, which were generally maintained during ACT treatment. This observation points to relevant related roles in the normal parasite physiology, which seem essential to be maintained when the parasite is exposed to drug stress. In addition, keeping the simultaneous expression of both transporters might be advantageous for responding to the drug action
CP-odd Phase Correlations and Electric Dipole Moments
We revisit the constraints imposed by electric dipole moments (EDMs) of
nucleons and heavy atoms on new CP-violating sources within supersymmetric
theories. We point out that certain two-loop renormalization group corrections
induce significant mixing between the basis-invariant CP-odd phases. In the
framework of the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model (CMSSM), the
CP-odd invariant related to the soft trilinear A-phase at the GUT scale,
theta_A, induces non-trivial and distinct CP-odd phases for the three gaugino
masses at the weak scale. The latter give one-loop contributions to EDMs
enhanced by tan beta, and can provide the dominant contribution to the electron
EDM induced by theta_A. We perform a detailed analysis of the EDM constraints
within the CMSSM, exhibiting the reach, in terms of sparticle spectra, which
may be obtained assuming generic phases, as well as the limits on the CP-odd
phases for some specific parameter points where detailed phenomenological
studies are available. We also illustrate how this reach will expand with
results from the next generation of experiments which are currently in
development.Comment: 31 pages, 21 eps figures; v2: additional remarks on 2-loop threshold
corrections and references added; v3: typos corrected, to appear in Phys.
Rev.
Plasmon single- and multi-quantum excitation in free metal clusters as seen by photoelectron spectroscopy.
Plasmons are investigated in free nanoscale Na, Mg, and K metal clusters using synchrotron radiation-based x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The core levels for which the response from bulk and surface atoms can be resolved are probed over an extended binding energy range to include the plasmon loss features. In all species the features due to fundamental plasmons are identified, and in Na and K also those due to either the first order plasmon overtones or sequential plasmon excitation are observed. These features are discussed in view of earlier results for planar macroscopic samples and free clusters of the same materials
Calculation of T_ odd effects in $"" sup 205_TIF including electron correlation
A method and codes for two-step correlation calculation of heavy-atom
molecules have been developed, employing the generalized relativistic effective
core potential and relativistic coupled cluster (RCC) methods at the first
step, followed by nonvariational one-center restoration of proper
four-component spinors in the heavy cores. Electron correlation is included for
the first time in an ab initio calculation of the interaction of the permanent
P,T-odd proton electric dipole moment with the internal electromagnetic field
in a molecule. The calculation is performed for the ground state of TlF at the
experimental equilibrium, R_e=2.0844 A, and at R=2.1 A, with spin-orbit and
correlation effects included by RCC. Calculated results with single cluster
amplitudes only are in good agreement (3% and 1%) with recent
Dirac-Hartree-Fock (DHF) values of the magnetic parameter M; the larger
differences occurring between present and DHF volume parameter (X) values, as
well as between the two DHF calculations, are explained. Inclusion of electron
correlation by GRECP/RCC with single and double excitations has a major effect
on the P,T-odd parameters, decreasing M by 17% and X by 22%.Comment: 5 pages, REVTeX4 style Accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.Letter
Optogalvanic Spectroscopy of Metastable States in Yb^{+}
The metastable ^{2}F_{7/2} and ^{2}D_{3/2} states of Yb^{+} are of interest
for applications in metrology and quantum information and also act as dark
states in laser cooling. These metastable states are commonly repumped to the
ground state via the 638.6 nm ^{2}F_{7/2} -- ^{1}D[5/2]_{5/2} and 935.2 nm
^{2}D_{3/2} -- ^{3}D[3/2]_{1/2} transitions. We have performed optogalvanic
spectroscopy of these transitions in Yb^{+} ions generated in a discharge. We
measure the pressure broadening coefficient for the 638.6 nm transition to be
70 \pm 10 MHz mbar^{-1}. We place an upper bound of 375 MHz/nucleon on the
638.6 nm isotope splitting and show that our observations are consistent with
theory for the hyperfine splitting. Our measurements of the 935.2 nm transition
extend those made by Sugiyama et al, showing well-resolved isotope and
hyperfine splitting. We obtain high signal to noise, sufficient for laser
stabilisation applications.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
The CoESCA station at BESSY: Auger electronâphotoelectron coincidences from surfaces demonstrated for Ag MNN
In this work, we present the CoESCA station for electronâelectron coincidence spectroscopy from surfaces, built in a close collaboration between Uppsala University and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin at the BESSY II synchrotron facility in Berlin, Germany. We start with a detailed overview of previous work in the field of electronâelectron coincidences, before we describe the CoESCA setup and its design parameters. The system is capable of recording shot-to-shot resolved 6D coincidence datasets, i.e. the kinetic energy and the two take off angles for both coincident electrons. The mathematics behind extracting and analysing these multi-dimensional coincidence datasets is introduced, with a focus on coincidence statistics, resulting in fundamental limits of the signal-to-noise ratio and its implications for acquisition times and the size of the raw data stream. The functionality of the CoESCA station is demonstrated for the example of Auger electronâphotoelectron coincidences from silver surfaces for photoelectrons from the Ag 3d core levels and their corresponding MNN Auger electrons. The Auger spectra originating from the different core levels, 3d and 3d could be separated and further, the two-hole state energy distributions were determined for these Auger decay channels
Enhancement of the electric dipole moment of the electron in BaF molecule
We report results of ab initio calculation of the spin-rotational Hamiltonian
parameters including P- and P,T-odd terms for the BaF molecule. The ground
state wave function of BaF molecule is found with the help of the Relativistic
Effective Core Potential method followed by the restoration of molecular
four-component spinors in the core region of barium in the framework of a
non-variational procedure. Core polarization effects are included with the help
of the atomic Many Body Perturbation Theory for Barium atom. For the hyperfine
constants the accuracy of this method is about 5-10%.Comment: 8 pages, REVTEX, report at II International Symposium on Symmetries
in Subatomic Physics, Seattle 199
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