Resonant Destruction as a Possible Solution to the Cosmological Lithium Problem

We explore a nuclear physics resolution to the discrepancy between the predicted standard big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) abundance of 7Li and its observational determination in metal-poor stars. The theoretical 7Li abundance is 3-4 times greater than the observational values, assuming the baryon-to-photon ratio, eta_wmap, determined by WMAP. The 7Li problem could be resolved within the standard BBN picture if additional destruction of A=7 isotopes occurs due to new nuclear reaction channels or upward corrections to existing channels. This could be achieved via missed resonant nuclear reactions, which is the possibility we consider here. We find some potential candidate resonances which can solve the lithium problem and specify their required resonant energies and widths. For example, a 1^- or 2^- excited state of 10C sitting at approximately 15.0 MeV above its ground state with an effective width of order 10 keV could resolve the 7Li problem; the existence of this excited state needs experimental verification. Other examples using known states include 7Be+t \rightarrow 10B(18.80 MeV), and 7Be+d \rightarrow 9B(16.71 MeV). For all of these states, a large channel radius (a > 10 fm) is needed to give sufficiently large widths. Experimental determination of these reaction strengths is needed to rule out or confirm these nuclear physics solutions to the lithium problem.Comment: 37 pages, 9 figures. Additional discussion of channel widths and radii. Matches published versio

Orthogonal Decomposition of Some Affine Lie Algebras in Terms of their Heisenberg Subalgebras

In the present note we suggest an affinization of a theorem by Kostrikin et.al. about the decomposition of some complex simple Lie algebras ${\cal G}$ into the algebraic sum of pairwise orthogonal Cartan subalgebras. We point out that the untwisted affine Kac-Moody algebras of types $A_{p^m-1}$ ($p$ prime, $m\geq 1$), $B_r, \, C_{2^m}, D_r,\, G_2,\, E_7,\, E_8$ can be decomposed into the algebraic sum of pairwise or\-tho\-go\-nal Heisenberg subalgebras. The $A_{p^m-1}$ and $G_2$ cases are discussed in great detail. Some possible applications of such decompositions are also discussed.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX, no figure

Rapid rotation of normal faults due to flexural stresses : an explanation for the global distribution of normal fault dips

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2014. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 119 (2014): 3722–3739, doi:10.1002/2013JB010512.We present a mechanical model to explain why most seismically active normal faults have dips much lower (30–60°) than expected from Anderson-Byerlee theory (60–65°). Our model builds on classic finite extension theory but incorporates rotation of the active fault plane as a response to the buildup of bending stresses with increasing extension. We postulate that fault plane rotation acts to minimize the amount of extensional work required to sustain slip on the fault. In an elastic layer, this assumption results in rapid rotation of the active fault plane from ~60° down to 30–45° before fault heave has reached ~50% of the faulted layer thickness. Commensurate but overall slower rotation occurs in faulted layers of finite strength. Fault rotation rates scale as the inverse of the faulted layer thickness, which is in quantitative agreement with 2-D geodynamic simulations that include an elastoplastic description of the lithosphere. We show that fault rotation promotes longer-lived fault extension compared to continued slip on a high-angle normal fault and discuss the implications of such a mechanism for fault evolution in continental rift systems and oceanic spreading centers.This work was supported by NSF grants OCE-1154238 and EAR-1010432.2014-10-2

Can the plasma PD-1 levels predict the presence and efficiency of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in patients with metastatic melanoma?

Background: The immune response in melanoma patients is locally affected by presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), generally divided into brisk, nonbrisk, and absent. Several studies have shown that a greater presence of TILs, especially brisk, in primary melanoma is associated with a better prognosis and higher survival rate. Patients and Methods: We investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) the correlation between PD-1 levels in plasma and the presence/absence of TILs in 28 patients with metastatic melanoma. Results: Low plasma PD-1 levels were correlated with brisk TILs in primary melanoma, whereas intermediate values correlated with the nonbrisk TILs, and high PD-1 levels with absent TILs. Although the low number of samples did not allow us to obtain a statistically significant correlation between the plasma PD-1 levels and the patients' overall survival depending on the absence/presence of TILs, the median survival of patients having brisk type TILs was 5 months higher than that of patients with absent and nonbrisk TILs. Conclusions: This work highlights the ability of measuring the plasma PD-1 levels in order to predict the prognosis of patients with untreated metastatic melanoma without a BRAF mutation at the time of diagnosis

Dual Projection and Selfduality in Three Dimensions

We discuss the notion of duality and selfduality in the context of the dual projection operation that creates an internal space of potentials. Contrary to the prevailing algebraic or group theoretical methods, this technique is applicable to both even and odd dimensions. The role of parity in the kernel of the Gauss law to determine the dimensional dependence is clarified. We derive the appropriate invariant actions, discuss the symmetry groups and their proper generators. In particular, the novel concept of duality symmetry and selfduality in Maxwell theory in (2+1) dimensions is analysed in details. The corresponding action is a 3D version of the familiar duality symmetric electromagnetic theory in 4D. Finally, the duality symmetric actions in the different dimensions constructed here manifest both the SO(2) and $Z_2$ symmetries, contrary to conventional results.Comment: 20 pages, late

Integral group actions on symmetric spaces and discrete duality symmetries of supergravity theories

For $G(\mathbb{R})$ a split, simply connected, semisimple Lie group of rank $n$ and $K$ the maximal compact subgroup of $G$, we give a method for computing Iwasawa coordinates of $G/K$ using the Chevalley generators and the Steinberg presentation. When $G/K$ is a scalar coset for a supergravity theory in dimensions $\geq 3$, we determine the action of the integral form $G(\mathbb{Z})$ on $G/K$. We give explicit results for the action of the discrete $U$--duality groups $SL_2(\mathbb{Z})$ and $E_7(\mathbb{Z})$ on the scalar cosets $SL_2(\mathbb{R})/SO_2(\mathbb{R})$ and $E_{7(+7)}(\mathbb{R})/[SU(8,\mathbb{R})/\{\pm Id\}]$ for type IIB supergravity in ten dimensions and 11--dimensional supergravity in $D=4$ dimensions, respectively. For the former, we use this to determine the discrete U--duality transformations on the scalar sector in the Borel gauge and we describe the discrete symmetries of the dyonic charge lattice. We determine the spectrum--generating symmetry group for fundamental BPS solitons of type IIB supergravity in $D=10$ dimensions at the classical level and we propose an analog of this symmetry at the quantum level. We indicate how our methods can be used to study the orbits of discrete U--duality groups in general