Proton decay and light sterile neutrinos

Within the standard model, non-renormalizable operators at dimension six ($d=6$) violate baryon and lepton number by one unit and thus lead to proton decay. Here, we point out that the proton decay mode with a charged pion and missing energy can be a characteristic signature of $d=6$ operators containing a light sterile neutrino, if it is not accompanied by the standard $\pi^0e^+$ final state. We discuss this effect first at the level of effective operators and then provide a concrete model with new physics at the TeV scale, in which the lightness of the active neutrinos and the stability of the proton are related.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, published versio

In Vivo Generation of Engraftable Murine Hematopoietic Stem Cells by Gfi1b, c-Fos, and Gata2 Overexpression within Teratoma.

Generation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) could potentially provide unlimited HSCs for clinical transplantation, a curative treatment for numerous blood diseases. However, to date, bona fide HSC generation has been largely unsuccessful in vitro. We have previously described proof of concept for in vivo HSC generation from PSCs via teratoma formation. However, our first-generation system was complex and the output low. Here, we further optimize this technology and demonstrate the following: (1) simplified HSC generation using transcription factor overexpression; (2) improved HSC output using c-Kit-deficient host mice, and (3) that teratomas can be transplanted and cryopreserved. We demonstrate that overexpression of Gfi1b, c-Fos, and Gata2, previously reported to transdifferentiate fibroblasts into hematopoietic progenitors in vitro, can induce long-term HSC formation in vivo. Our in vivo system provides a useful platform to investigate new strategies and re-evaluate existing strategies to generate HSCs and study HSC development

A note on Verhulst's logistic equation and related logistic maps

We consider the Verhulst logistic equation and a couple of forms of the corresponding logistic maps. For the case of the logistic equation we show that using the general Riccati solution only changes the initial conditions of the equation. Next, we consider two forms of corresponding logistic maps reporting the following results. For the map x_{n+1} = rx_n(1 - x_n) we propose a new way to write the solution for r = -2 which allows better precision of the iterative terms, while for the map x_{n+1}-x_n = rx_n(1 - x_{n+1}) we show that it behaves identically to the logistic equation from the standpoint of the general Riccati solution, which is also provided herein for any value of the parameter r.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 7 references with title

L_X-T Relation and Related Properties of Galaxy Clusters

An observational approach is presented to constrain the global structure and evolution of the intracluster medium based on the ROSAT and ASCA distant cluster sample. From statistical analysis of the gas density profile and the connection to the LX-T relation under the beta-model, the scaled gas profile is nearly universal for the outer region and the LX(>0.2r500) is tightly related to the temperature through T^3 rather than T^2. On the other hand, a large density scatter exists in the core region and there is clearly a deviation from the self-similar scaling for clusters with a small core size. A direct link between the core size and the radiative cooling timescale suggest that t_cool is a parameter to control the gas structure and the appearance of small cores in regular clusters may be much connected with the thermal evolution. We derive the luminosity-ambient temperature (T') relation, assuming the universal temperature profile to find the dispersion around the relation significantly decreases: L_1keV is almost constant for a wide range of t_cool. We further examined the LX-Tbeta and LX-T'beta relations and showed a trend that merging clusters segregate from the regular clusters on the planes. A good correlation between t_cool and the X-ray morphology on the L_1keV-t_cool/t_age plane leads us to define three phases according to the different level of cooling, and draw a phenomenological picture: after a cluster collapses and t_cool falls below t_age, the core cools radiatively with quasi-hydrostatic balancing in the gravitational potential, and the central density gradually becomes higher to evolve from an outer-core-dominant cluster to inner-core-dominant cluster.Comment: 39 pages, 37 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ. Version with high-quality color figures at http://cosmic.riken.jp/ota/publications/index.htm

Morphological Diversity between Culture Strains of a Chlorarachniophyte, Lotharella globosa

Chlorarachniophytes are marine unicellular algae that possess secondary plastids of green algal origin. Although chlorarachniophytes are a small group (the phylum of Chlorarachniophyta contains 14 species in 8 genera), they have variable and complex life cycles that include amoeboid, coccoid, and/or flagellate cells. The majority of chlorarachniophytes possess two or more cell types in their life cycles, and which cell types are found is one of the principle morphological criteria used for species descriptions. Here we describe an unidentified chlorarachniophyte that was isolated from an artificial coral reef that calls this criterion into question. The life cycle of the new strain includes all three major cell types, but DNA barcoding based on the established nucleomorph ITS sequences showed it to share 100% sequence identity with Lotharella globosa. The type strain of L. globosa was also isolated from a coral reef, but is defined as completely lacking an amoeboid stage throughout its life cycle. We conclude that L. globosa possesses morphological diversity between culture strains, and that the new strain is a variety of L. globosa, which we describe as Lotharella globosa var. fortis var. nov. to include the amoeboid stage in the formal description of L. globosa. This intraspecies variation suggest that gross morphological stages maybe lost rather rapidly, and specifically that the type strain of L. globosa has lost the ability to form the amoeboid stage, perhaps recently. This in turn suggests that even major morphological characters used for taxonomy of this group may be variable in natural populations, and therefore misleading

X-ray Study of Seventy-nine Distant Clusters of Galaxies: Discovery of Two Classes of Cluster Size

We have performed a uniform analysis of 79 clusters of galaxies with the ROSAT HRI and ASCA to study the X-ray structure and evolution of clusters in the redshift range 0.1 < z < 1. We determined the average X-ray temperatures and the bolometric luminosities with ASCA and the spatial distributions of the X-ray brightness with the ROSAT HRI by utilizing the isothermal beta-model. We do not find any significant redshift dependence in the X-ray parameters including the temperature, beta-model parameters, and the central electron density. Among the parameters, the core radius shows the largest cluster-to-cluster dispersions. We discovered that the histogram of the core radius shows two peaks at 60 and 220 kpc. If we divide the cluster samples into two subgroups corresponding to the two peaks in the core radius distribution, they show differences in the X-ray and optical morphologies and in the X-ray luminosity temperature relation. From these observational results, we suggest that the clusters are divided into at least two subgroups according to the core radius.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

A new species of Hemigrammus Gill, 1858 (Characiformes: Characidae) from the rio Madeira and rio Paraguai basins, with a redescription of H. lunatus

A new Hemigrammus is described from the rio Paraguai and rio Madeira basins, Mato Grosso and Rondônia States, Brazil. The new species is characterized by possessing a wide dark horizontal stripe across the eye, a vertically elongated humeral blotch, and 4-5 gill-rakers on upper branch and 9-10 on lower. The new species can be easily diagnosed from H. lunatus, the sympatric and morphologically most similar congener, by the shape of humeral blotch and the number of gill rakers. Data of the type material of both Hemigrammus lunatus and H. maxillaris, as well as extensive examination of specimens, allowed us to conclude that H. maxillarisis a junior subjective synonym of H. lunatus. A redescription of H. lunatus, as well as a formal restriction of its type locality, is provided. A putative monophyletic group within Hemigrammus, composed by H. barrigonae, Hemigrammus lunatus, H. machadoi new species, and H. ulreyi, named Hemigrammus lunatus group, is proposed based on overall body morphology and color pattern. Additionally, a discussion on the biogeographical relationships between the rio Paraguai and rio Guaporé basins is provided122265279Um Hemigrammus novo é descrito das bacias dos rios Paraguai e Madeira, estados de Mato Grosso e Rondônia, Brasil. A espécie nova é caracterizada por possuir uma ampla faixa escura horizontal atravessando o olho, mancha umeral verticalmente alongada, 4-5 rastros branquiais no ramo superior e 9-10 no inferior. A espécie nova pode ser facilmente diferenciada de H. lunatus, a congênere simpátrica e mais semelhante morfologicamente, pela forma da mancha umeral, e pelo número de rastros branquiais. Dados do material-tipo de Hemigrammus lunatus e H. maxillaris, bem como o exame de extenso material, levou à conclusão de que H. maxillaris é um sinônimo júnior de H. lunatus. É apresentada a redescrição de H. lunatus com a restrição formal de sua localidade-tipo. Um presumível grupo monofilético dentro de Hemigrammus, composto por H. barrigonae, H. machadoi espécie nova,Hemigrammus lunatus, and H. ulreyi, chamado grupo Hemigrammus lunatus, é proposto baseado na morfologia geral do corpo e padrão de colorido. Adicionalmente, uma discussão das relações biogeográficas entre as bacias dos rios Paraguai e Guaporé é apresentadasem informaçã

Light neutralino in the MSSM: An update with the latest LHC results

We discuss the scenario of light neutralino dark matter in the minimal supersymmetric standard model, which is motivated by the results of some of the direct detection experiments --- DAMA, CoGENT, and CRESST. We update our previous analysis with the latest results of the LHC. We show that new LHC constraints disfavour the parameter region that can reproduce the results of DAMA and CoGENT.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to appear in the conference proceedings of TAUP 2011, Munich Germany, 5-9 September 201

P-shell carriers assisted dynamic nuclear spin polarization in single quantum dots at zero external magnetic field

Repeated injection of spin polarized carriers in a quantum dot leads to the polarization of nuclear spins, a process known as dynamic nuclear spin polarization (DNP). Here, we report the first observation of p-shell carrier assisted DNP in single QDs at zero external magnetic field. The nuclear field - measured by using the Overhauser shift of the singly charged exciton state of the QDs - continues to increase, even after the carrier population in the s-shell saturates. This is also accompanied by an abrupt increase in nuclear spin buildup time as p-shell emission overtakes that of the s-shell. We attribute the observation to p-shell electrons strongly altering the nuclear spin dynamics in the QD, supported by numerical simulation results based on a rate equation model of coupling between electron and nuclear spin system. DNP with p-shell carriers could open up avenues for further control to increase the degree of nuclear spin polarization in QDs.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figure