1,019 research outputs found
Evaluation of heat extraction through sapphire fibers for the GW observatory KAGRA
Currently, the Japanese gravitational wave laser interferometer KAGRA is
under construction in the Kamioka mine. As one main feature, it will employ
sapphire mirrors operated at a temperature of 20K to reduce the impact from
thermal noise. To reduce seismic noise, the mirrors will also be suspended from
multi-stage pendulums. Thus the heat load deposited in the mirrors by
absorption of the circulating laser light as well as heat load from thermal
radiation will need to be extracted through the last suspension stage. This
stage will consist of four thin sapphire fibers with larger heads necessary to
connect the fibers to both the mirror and the upper stage. In this paper, we
discuss heat conductivity measurements on different fiber candidates. While all
fibers had a diameter of 1.6mm, different surface treatments and approaches to
attach the heads were analyzed. Our measurements show that fibers fulfilling
the basic KAGRA heat conductivity requirement of 5000W/m/K at 20K
are technologically feasible.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure
Ultracold neutrons, quantum effects of gravity and the Weak Equivalence Principle
We consider an extension of the recent experiment with ultracold neutrons and
the quantization of its vertical motion in order to test the Weak Equivalence
Principle. We show that an improvement on the energy resolution of the
experiment may allow to establish a modest limit to the Weak Equivalence
Principle and on the gravitational screening constant. We also discuss the
influence of a possible new interaction of Nature.Comment: Revtex4, 4 pages. Discussion on the equivalence principle altered.
Bound is improve
Magnetic Linear Birefringence Measurements Using Pulsed Fields
In this paper we present the realization of further steps towards the
measurement of the magnetic birefringence of the vacuum using pulsed fields.
After describing our experiment, we report the calibration of our apparatus
using nitrogen gas and we discuss the precision of our measurement giving a
detailed error budget. Our best present vacuum upper limit is Dn < 5.0x10^(-20)
T^-2 per 4 ms acquisition time. We finally discuss the improvements necessary
to reach our final goal.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.
The MGDO software library for data analysis in Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments
The GERDA and Majorana experiments will search for neutrinoless double-beta
decay of germanium-76 using isotopically enriched high-purity germanium
detectors. Although the experiments differ in conceptual design, they share
many aspects in common, and in particular will employ similar data analysis
techniques. The collaborations are jointly developing a C++ software library,
MGDO, which contains a set of data objects and interfaces to encapsulate, store
and manage physical quantities of interest, such as waveforms and high-purity
germanium detector geometries. These data objects define a common format for
persistent data, whether it is generated by Monte Carlo simulations or an
experimental apparatus, to reduce code duplication and to ease the exchange of
information between detector systems. MGDO also includes general-purpose
analysis tools that can be used for the processing of measured or simulated
digital signals. The MGDO design is based on the Object-Oriented programming
paradigm and is very flexible, allowing for easy extension and customization of
the components. The tools provided by the MGDO libraries are used by both GERDA
and Majorana.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, proceedings for TAUP201
Reactive powder concrete reinforced with steel fibres exposed to high temperatures
An experimental investigation was carried out to assess the mechanical properties of
reactive powder concrete (RPC) reinforced with steel fibres (2% in vol.) when exposed to high
temperatures. The compressive, flexural and tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and postcracking
behaviour were assessed after specimensâ exposure to different high temperatures
ranging from 400 to 700ÂșC. The mechanical properties of the RPC were assessed for specimens
dried for 24 hours at 60 ÂșC and 100 ÂșC. Partially dried specimens (60 ÂșC) exhibited explosive
spalling at nearby 450 ÂșC, while fully dried RPC specimens (100 ÂșC) maintained their integrity
after heating exposure. In general, the mechanical properties of RPC significantly decreased
with the increase of the temperature exposure. The rate of decrease with temperature of the
compressive, tensile and flexural strengths, as well the corresponding post-cracking residual
stresses was higher for exposure temperatures above the 400 ÂșC.The authors would like to acknowledge the Zhejiang Boen Company and MAPEI Company for
providing gratuitously, respectively, the steel fibers and micro silica fume. The first author would also
like to acknowledge the grant obtained under the scope of the Erasmus Mundus - Marhaba project.
The third author wishes to acknowledge the grant SFRH/BSAB/114302/2016 provided by FCT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Lagrangian for the Majorana-Ahluwalia Construct
The equations describing self/anti-self charge conjugate states, recently
proposed by Ahluwalia, are re-written to covariant form. The corresponding
Lagrangian for the neutral particle theory is proposed. From a
group-theoretical viewpoint the construct is an example of the
Nigam-Foldy-Bargmann-Wightman-Wigner-type quantum field theory based on the
doubled representations of the extended Lorentz group. Relations with the
Sachs-Schwebel and Ziino-Barut concepts of relativistic quantum theory are
discussed.Comment: 10pp., REVTeX 3.0 fil
The Stern-Gerlach Experiment Revisited
The Stern-Gerlach-Experiment (SGE) of 1922 is a seminal benchmark experiment
of quantum physics providing evidence for several fundamental properties of
quantum systems. Based on today's knowledge we illustrate the different
benchmark results of the SGE for the development of modern quantum physics and
chemistry.
The SGE provided the first direct experimental evidence for angular momentum
quantization in the quantum world and thus also for the existence of
directional quantization of all angular momenta in the process of measurement.
It measured for the first time a ground state property of an atom, it produced
for the first time a `spin-polarized' atomic beam, it almost revealed the
electron spin. The SGE was the first fully successful molecular beam experiment
with high momentum-resolution by beam measurements in vacuum. This technique
provided a new kinematic microscope with which inner atomic or nuclear
properties could be investigated.
The original SGE is described together with early attempts by Einstein,
Ehrenfest, Heisenberg, and others to understand directional quantization in the
SGE. Heisenberg's and Einstein's proposals of an improved multi-stage SGE are
presented. The first realization of these proposals by Stern, Phipps, Frisch
and Segr\`e is described. The set-up suggested by Einstein can be considered an
anticipation of a Rabi-apparatus. Recent theoretical work is mentioned in which
the directional quantization process and possible interference effects of the
two different spin states are investigated.
In full agreement with the results of the new quantum theory directional
quantization appears as a general and universal feature of quantum
measurements. One experimental example for such directional quantization in
scattering processes is shown. Last not least, the early history of the
`almost' discovery of the electron spin in the SGE is revisited.Comment: 50pp, 17 fig
The BMV experiment : a novel apparatus to study the propagation of light in a transverse magnetic field
In this paper, we describe in detail the BMV (Bir\'efringence Magn\'etique du
Vide) experiment, a novel apparatus to study the propagation of light in a
transverse magnetic field. It is based on a very high finesse Fabry-Perot
cavity and on pulsed magnets specially designed for this purpose. We justify
our technical choices and we present the current status and perspectives.Comment: To be published in the European Physical Journal
Renyi-Wehrl entropies as measures of localization in phase space
We generalize the concept of the Wehrl entropy of quantum states which gives
a basis-independent measure of their localization in phase space. We discuss
the minimal values and the typical values of these R{enyi-Wehrl entropies for
pure states for spin systems. According to Lieb's conjecture the minimal values
are provided by the spin coherent states. Though Lieb's conjecture remains
unproven, we give new proofs of partial results that may be generalized for
other systems. We also investigate random pure states and calculate the mean
Renyi-Wehrl entropies averaged over the natural measure in the space of pure
quantum states.Comment: 18 pages, no figures, some improved versions of main proofs, added
J.referenc
Duality in a fermion-like formulation for the electromagnetic field
We employ the Dirac-like equation for the gauge field proposed by Majorana to
obtain an action that is symmetric under duality transformation. We also use
the equivalence between duality and chiral symmetry in this fermion-like
formulation to show how the Maxwell action can be seen as a mass term.Comment: 4 pages. Revtex. Final version to be published in Phys. Rev.
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