Nilsson diagrams for light neutron-rich nuclei with weakly-bound neutrons

Using Woods-Saxon potentials and the eigenphase formalism for one-particle resonances, one-particle bound and resonant levels for neutrons as a function of quadrupole deformation are presented, which are supposed to be useful for the interpretation of spectroscopic properties of some light neutron-rich nuclei with weakly-bound neutrons. Compared with Nilsson diagrams in text books which are constructed using modified oscillator potentials, we point out a systematic change of the shell structure in connection with both weakly-bound and resonant one-particle levels related to small orbital angular momenta $\ell$. Then, it is seen that weakly-bound neutrons in nuclei such as $^{15-19}$C and $^{33-37}$Mg may prefer to being deformed as a result of Jahn-Teller effect, due to the near degeneracy of the 1d$_{5/2}$-2s$_{1/2}$ levels and the 1f$_{7/2}$-2p$_{3/2}$ levels in the spherical potential, respectively. Furthermore, the absence of some one-particle resonant levels compared with the Nilsson diagrams in text books is illustrated.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

Effect of surface roughness on the microwave emission from soils

The effect of surface roughness on the brightness temperature of a moist terrain was studied through the modification of Fresnel reflection coefficient and using the radiative transfer equation. The modification involves introduction of a single parameter to characterize the roughness. It is shown that this parameter depends on both the surface height variance and the horizontal scale of the roughness. Model calculations are in good quantitative agreement with the observed dependence of the brightness temperature on the moisture content in the surface layer. Data from truck mounted and airborne radiometers are presented for comparison. The results indicate that the roughness effects are greatest for wet soils where the difference between smooth and rough surfaces can be as great as 50K

Antibound States and Halo Formation in the Gamow Shell Model

The open quantum system formulation of the nuclear shell model, the so-called Gamow Shell Model (GSM), is a multi-configurational SM that employs a single-particle basis given by the Berggren ensemble consisting of Gamow states and the non-resonant continuum of scattering states. The GSM is of particular importance for weakly bound/unbound nuclear states where both many-body correlations and the coupling to decay channels are essential. In this context, we investigate the role of l=0 antibound (virtual) neutron single-particle states in the shell model description of loosely bound wave functions, such as the ground state wave function of a halo nucleus 11Li

Mechanism of NSF: New evidence challenging the prevailing theory

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) has been associated with the administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents in patients with severely impaired renal function (SIRF), endstage renal disease (ESRD), or acute renal failure (ARF). Since the vast majority of these patients do not get NSF, it is highly likely that patient factors play a role in its development. Although free or dechelated gadolinium is thought by some to be the only trigger of NSF, recent evidence suggests that chelated gadolinium may be important. Chelated gadolinium such as Omniscan (gadodiamide) and Magnevist (gadopentetate) can directly stimulate macrophages and monocytes in vitro to release profibrotic cytokines and growth factors capable of initiating and supporting the tissue fibrosis that is characteristic of NSF. In addition, an effect of chelated gadolinium on fibroblasts has also been demonstrated. Chelated gadolinium in the form of Omniscan, Magnevist, MultiHance, and ProHance increased proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts. Indeed, increased numbers of macrophages, together with activated fibroblasts and fibrocytes, are essential cells in the fibrotic process and are present in NSF skin. Accordingly, it is important that chelated gadolinium, in combination with patient cofactors, is considered in the etiology of NSF associated with enhanced scans

Is it a norm to favour your own group?

This paper examines the relationship between norm enforcement and in-group favouritism behaviour. Using a new two-stage allocation experiment with punishments, we investigate whether in-group favouritism is considered as a social norm in itself or as a violation of a different norm, such as egalitarian norm. We find that which norm of behaviour is enforced depends on who the punisher is. If the punishers belong to the in-group, in-group favouritism is considered a norm and it does not get punished. If the punishers belong to the outgroup, in-group favouritism is frequently punished. If the punishers belong to no group and merely observe ingroup favouritism (the third-party), they do not seem to care sufficiently to be willing to punish this behaviour. Our results shed a new light on the effectiveness of altruistic norm enforcement when group identities are taken into account and help to explain why in-group favouritism is widespread across societies.This is the accepted manuscript. The final publication is available from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10683-014-9417-9

Generic Constraints on the Relativistic Mean-Field and Skyrme-Hartree-Fock Models from the Pure Neutron Matter Equation of State

We study the nuclear symmetry energy S(rho) and related quantities of nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics predicted generically by relativistic mean-field (RMF) and Skyrme-Hartree-Fock (SHF) models. We establish a simple prescription for preparing equivalent RMF and SHF parametrizations starting from a minimal set of empirical constraints on symmetric nuclear matter, nuclear binding energy and charge radii, enforcing equivalence of their Lorenz effective masses, and then using the pure neutron matter (PNM) equation of state (EoS) obtained from ab-initio calculations to optimize the pure isovector parameters in the RMF and SHF models. We find the resulting RMF and SHF parametrizations give broadly consistent predictions of the symmetry energy J and its slope parameter L at saturation density within a tight range of <~2 MeV and <~6 MeV respectively, but that clear model dependence shows up in the predictions of higher-order symmetry energy parameters, leading to important differences in (a) the slope of the correlation between J and L from the confidence ellipse, (b) the isospin-dependent part of the incompressibility of nuclear matter K_tau, (c) the symmetry energy at supra-saturation densities, and (d) the predicted neutron star radii. The model dependence can lead to about 1-2 km difference in predictions of the neutron star radius given identical predicted values of J, L and symmetric nuclear matter (SNM) saturation properties. Allowing the full freedom in the effective masses in both models leads to constraints of 30<~J<~31.5 MeV, 35<~L<~60 MeV, -330<~K_tau<~-216 MeV for the RMF model as a whole and 30<~J<~33 MeV, 28<~L<~65 MeV, -420<~K_tau<~-325 MeV for the SHF model as a whole. Notably, given PNM constraints, these results place RMF and SHF models as a whole at odds with some constraints on K_tau inferred from giant monopole resonance and neutron skin experimental results.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 4 table

Full transmission within a wide energy range and super-criticality in relativistic barrier scattering

For potential barriers with scalar and vector coupling, we show that a Dirac particle could experience nearly full transmission within a wide sub-barrier energy band. Moreover, for certain potential configurations, including pseudo-spin symmetry where the scalar potential is the negative of the vector, full transmission occurs for arbitrarily small momentum.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, 1 video animatio

Comparison of Real-world Data with Simulated Results to Enhance Building Thermal Retention when using Shading Devices

Managing thermal loss is a key topic that needs further investigation as it has a direct link to reducing the energy load in buildings. One of these thermal loss management methods can be the use of shading devices. Dynamic thermal models normally used at the early stages of the building design can play an important role in the decisionmaking process regarding the use of shading devices. This paper presents the results of a real-world study assessing the potential of using a sealed cellular blind as a passive energy conservation method, where the real-world results are compared with the simulated results generated with EDSL Tas. During the real-world study, a positive impact of having blinds was seen whereby the window surface temperature increased and office heating energy consumption was lowered. EDSL Tas was able to predict a similar trend of results for the window surface temperature but not for the energy consumption. This was mainly due to the inability of the software in demonstrating the effect of infiltration of the blind