6,408 research outputs found
New Cases of Universality Theorem for Gravitational Theories
The "Universality Theorem" for gravity shows that f(R) theories (in their
metric-affine formulation) in vacuum are dynamically equivalent to vacuum
Einstein equations with suitable cosmological constants. This holds true for a
generic (i.e. except sporadic degenerate cases) analytic function f(R) and
standard gravity without cosmological constant is reproduced if f is the
identity function (i.e. f(R)=R). The theorem is here extended introducing in
dimension 4 a 1-parameter family of invariants R' inspired by the
Barbero-Immirzi formulation of GR (which in the Euclidean sector includes also
selfdual formulation). It will be proven that f(R') theories so defined are
dynamically equivalent to the corresponding metric-affine f(R) theory. In
particular for the function f(R)=R the standard equivalence between GR and
Holst Lagrangian is obtained.Comment: 10 pages, few typos correcte
Diphoton Signals for Large Extra Dimensions at the Tevatron and CERN LHC
We analyze the potentiality of hadron colliders to search for large extra dimensions via the production of photon pairs. The virtual exchange of Kaluza--Klein gravitons can significantly enhance this processes provided the quantum gravity scale () is in the TeV range. We studied in detail the subprocesses and taking into account the complete Standard Model and graviton contributions as well as the unitarity constraints. We show that the Tevatron Run II will be able to probe up to 1.5--1.9 TeV at 2 level, while the LHC can extend this search to 5.3--6.7 TeV, depending on the number of extra dimensions
Emissão de metano entérico e consumo alimentar residual em bovinos Nelore.
O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a emissão diária de metano entérico em bovinos Nelore com um ano de idade, previamente avaliados para o consumo alimentar residual (CAR). Foram avaliados 118 animais, machos e fêmeas, nascidos em 2010, provenientes do Centro APTA Bovinos de Corte-IZ/SP. O CAR foi estimado como o resíduo da equação de regressão do consumo de matéria seca (CMS) sobre o peso metabólico e o ganho médio diário (GMD) em teste pós-desmama de 110 dias de duração. Os animais foram classificados por CAR em três grupos: alto CAR (n= 36), médio CAR (n= 42) e baixo CAR (n= 40), levando-se em conta o desvio-padrão da média do CAR de cada sexo. Uma amostra representativa de 46 animais das classes alto e baixo CAR foi usada para avaliar a emissão diária de metano (CH4) por meio da metodologia do gás traçador hexafluoreto de enxofre com 7 dias consecutivos de coleta. Durante a coleta de metano o CMS foi também obtido. Apesar da diferença do CMS dos animais das duas classes de CAR, não houve diferença significativa na CH4. Quando a CH4 foi expressa em relação ao GMD, houve diferença significativa entre os animais mais e menos eficientes. Os animais mais eficientes (baixo CAR) emitem menos CH4 por kg de ganho de peso que os animais menos eficientes (alto CAR)
Sneutrino Mass Measurements at e+e- Linear Colliders
It is generally accepted that experiments at an e+e- linear colliders will be
able to extract the masses of the selectron as well as the associated
sneutrinos with a precision of ~ 1% by determining the kinematic end points of
the energy spectrum of daughter electrons produced in their two body decays to
a lighter neutralino or chargino. Recently, it has been suggested that by
studying the energy dependence of the cross section near the production
threshold, this precision can be improved by an order of magnitude, assuming an
integrated luminosity of 100 fb^-1. It is further suggested that these
threshold scans also allow the masses of even the heavier second and third
generation sleptons and sneutrinos to be determined to better than 0.5%. We
re-examine the prospects for determining sneutrino masses. We find that the
cross sections for the second and third generation sneutrinos are too small for
a threshold scan to be useful. An additional complication arises because the
cross section for sneutrino pair to decay into any visible final state(s)
necessarily depends on an unknown branching fraction, so that the overall
normalization in unknown. This reduces the precision with which the sneutrino
mass can be extracted. We propose a different strategy to optimize the
extraction of m(\tilde{\nu}_\mu) and m(\tilde{\nu}_\tau) via the energy
dependence of the cross section. We find that even with an integrated
luminosity of 500 fb^-1, these can be determined with a precision no better
than several percent at the 90% CL. We also examine the measurement of
m(\tilde{\nu}_e) and show that it can be extracted with a precision of about
0.5% (0.2%) with an integrated luminosity of 120 fb^-1 (500 fb^-1).Comment: RevTex, 46 pages, 15 eps figure
A proof of concept pilot trial of probiotics in symptomatic oral lichen planus (CABRIO)
OBJECTIVE: To preliminary evaluate the clinical effects of probiotics in individuals with symptomatic oral lichen planus and the possible mechanisms of action. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A group of 30 individuals with symptomatic oral lichen planus were recruited in a randomised double-blind parallel group controlled (1:1) proof-of-concept pilot trial of probiotic VSL#3 vs placebo. Efficacy outcomes included changes in pain numeric rating scale, oral disease severity score and the chronic oral mucosal disease questionnaire. Adverse effects, home diary and withdrawals were assessed as feasibility outcomes. Mechanistic outcomes included changes in salivary and serum levels of CXCL10 and IFN-γ and in oral microbial composition. RESULTS: The probiotic VSL#3 was safe and well tolerated. We observed no statistically significant change in pain, disease activity, quality of life, serum/salivary CXCL10 or oral microbial composition with respect to placebo. Salivary IFN-γ levels demonstrate a trend for a reduced level in the active group (p = 0.082) after 30 days of probiotic consumption. CONCLUSIONS: The present proof-of-concept study provides some weak not convincing indication of biological and clinical effects of probiotic VSL#3 in individuals with painful oral lichen planus. Further research in this field is needed, with the current study providing useful information to the design of future clinical trials
LHC Optics Measurement with Proton Tracks Detected by the Roman Pots of the TOTEM Experiment
Precise knowledge of the beam optics at the LHC is crucial to fulfil the
physics goals of the TOTEM experiment, where the kinematics of the scattered
protons is reconstructed with the near-beam telescopes -- so-called Roman Pots
(RP). Before being detected, the protons' trajectories are influenced by the
magnetic fields of the accelerator lattice. Thus precise understanding of the
proton transport is of key importance for the experiment. A novel method of
optics evaluation is proposed which exploits kinematical distributions of
elastically scattered protons observed in the RPs. Theoretical predictions, as
well as Monte Carlo studies, show that the residual uncertainty of this optics
estimation method is smaller than 0.25 percent.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, 5 figures, to be submitted to New J. Phy
Double diffractive cross-section measurement in the forward region at LHC
The first double diffractive cross-section measurement in the very forward
region has been carried out by the TOTEM experiment at the LHC with
center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s)=7 TeV. By utilizing the very forward TOTEM
tracking detectors T1 and T2, which extend up to |eta|=6.5, a clean sample of
double diffractive pp events was extracted. From these events, we measured the
cross-section sigma_DD =(116 +- 25) mub for events where both diffractive
systems have 4.7 <|eta|_min < 6.5 .Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, submitted for publicatio
Performance of the TOTEM Detectors at the LHC
The TOTEM Experiment is designed to measure the total proton-proton
cross-section with the luminosity-independent method and to study elastic and
diffractive pp scattering at the LHC. To achieve optimum forward coverage for
charged particles emitted by the pp collisions in the interaction point IP5,
two tracking telescopes, T1 and T2, are installed on each side of the IP in the
pseudorapidity region 3.1 < = |eta | < = 6.5, and special movable beam-pipe
insertions - called Roman Pots (RP) - are placed at distances of +- 147 m and
+- 220 m from IP5. This article describes in detail the working of the TOTEM
detector to produce physics results in the first three years of operation and
data taking at the LHC.Comment: 40 pages, 31 figures, submitted to Int. J. Mod. Phys.
Proton-proton elastic scattering at the LHC energy of {\surd} = 7 TeV
Proton-proton elastic scattering has been measured by the TOTEM experiment at
the CERN Large Hadron Collider at {\surd}s = 7 TeV in dedicated runs with the
Roman Pot detectors placed as close as seven times the transverse beam size
(sbeam) from the outgoing beams. After careful study of the accelerator optics
and the detector alignment, |t|, the square of four-momentum transferred in the
elastic scattering process, has been determined with an uncertainty of d t =
0.1GeV p|t|. In this letter, first results of the differential cross section
are presented covering a |t|-range from 0.36 to 2.5GeV2. The differential
cross-section in the range 0.36 < |t| < 0.47 GeV2 is described by an
exponential with a slope parameter B = (23.6{\pm}0.5stat {\pm}0.4syst)GeV-2,
followed by a significant diffractive minimum at |t| =
(0.53{\pm}0.01stat{\pm}0.01syst)GeV2. For |t|-values larger than ~ 1.5GeV2, the
cross-section exhibits a power law behaviour with an exponent of -7.8_\pm}
0.3stat{\pm}0.1syst. When compared to predictions based on the different
available models, the data show a strong discriminative power despite the small
t-range covered.Comment: 12pages, 5 figures, CERN preprin
- …