168 research outputs found
Neutrino Emission from Goldstone Modes in Dense Quark Matter
We calculate neutrino emissivities from the decay and scattering of Goldstone
bosons in the color-flavor-locked (CFL) phase of quarks at high baryon density.
Interactions in the CFL phase are described by an effective low-energy theory.
For temperatures in the tens of keV range, relevant to the long-term cooling of
neutron stars, the emissivities involving Goldstone bosons dominate over those
involving quarks, because gaps in the CFL phase are MeV while the
masses of Goldstone modes are on the order of 10 MeV. For the same reason, the
specific heat of the CFL phase is also dominated by the Goldstone modes.
Notwithstanding this, both the emissivity and the specific heat from the
massive modes remain rather small, because of their extremely small number
densities. The values of the emissivity and the specific heat imply that the
timescale for the cooling of the CFL core in isolation is y,
which makes the CFL phase invisible as the exterior layers of normal matter
surrounding the core will continue to cool through significantly more rapid
processes. If the CFL phase appears during the evolution of a proto-neutron
star, neutrino interactions with Goldstone bosons are expected to be
significantly more important since temperatures are high enough (
MeV) to admit large number densities of Goldstone modes.Comment: 29 pages, no figures. slightly modified text, one new eqn. and new
refs. adde
Neutrino processes in the condensed phase of color flavor locked quark matter
We study weak interactions involving Goldstone bosons in the neutral kaon
condensed phase of color flavor locked quark matter. We calculate the rates for
the dominant processes that contribute to the neutrino mean free p ath and to
neutrino production. A light state, with a mass , where and are the quark
chemical potential and superconducting gap respectively, is shown to play an
important role. We identify unique characteristics of weak interaction rates in
this novel phase and discuss how they might influence neutrino emission in core
collapse supernova and neutron stars.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure
Effects of color superconductivity on the structure and formation of compact stars
We show that if color superconducting quark matter forms in hybrid or quark
stars it is possible to satisfy most of recent observational boundaries on
masses and radii of compact stellar objects. An energy of the order of
erg is released in the conversion from a (metastable) hadronic star
into a (stable) hybrid or quark star in presence of a color superconducting
phase. If the conversion occurs immediately after the deleptonization of the
proto-neutron star, the released energy can help Supernovae to explode. If the
conversion is delayed the energy released can power a Gamma Ray Burst. A delay
between the Supernova and the subsequent Gamma Ray Burst is possible, in
agreement with the delay proposed in recent analysis of astrophysical data.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. To be published in Phys.Rev.
Color-Neutral Superconducting Quark Matter
We investigate the consequences of enforcing local color neutrality on the
color superconducting phases of quark matter by utilizing the
Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model supplemented by diquark and the t'Hooft six-fermion
interactions. In neutrino free matter at zero temperature, color neutrality
guarantees that the number densities of u, d, and s quarks in the
Color-Flavor-Locked (CFL) phase will be equal even with physical current quark
masses. Electric charge neutrality follows as a consequence and without the
presence of electrons. In contrast, electric charge neutrality in the less
symmetric 2-flavor superconducting (2SC) phase with ud pairing requires more
electrons than the normal quark phase. The free energy density cost of
enforcing color and electric charge neutrality in the CFL phase is lower than
that in the 2SC phase, which favors the formation of the CFL phase. With
increasing temperature and neutrino content, an unlocking transition occurs
from the CFL phase to the 2SC phase with the order of the transition depending
on the temperature, the quark and lepton number chemical potentials. The
astrophysical implications of this rich structure in the phase diagram,
including estimates of the effects from Goldstone bosons in the CFL phase, are
discussed.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures; version to appear in Phys. Rev.
Designing a broad-spectrum integrative approach for cancer prevention and treatment
Targeted therapies and the consequent adoption of "personalized" oncology have achieved notablesuccesses in some cancers; however, significant problems remain with this approach. Many targetedtherapies are highly toxic, costs are extremely high, and most patients experience relapse after a fewdisease-free months. Relapses arise from genetic heterogeneity in tumors, which harbor therapy-resistantimmortalized cells that have adopted alternate and compensatory pathways (i.e., pathways that are notreliant upon the same mechanisms as those which have been targeted). To address these limitations, aninternational task force of 180 scientists was assembled to explore the concept of a low-toxicity "broad-spectrum" therapeutic approach that could simultaneously target many key pathways and mechanisms. Using cancer hallmark phenotypes and the tumor microenvironment to account for the various aspectsof relevant cancer biology, interdisciplinary teams reviewed each hallmark area and nominated a widerange of high-priority targets (74 in total) that could be modified to improve patient outcomes. For thesetargets, corresponding low-toxicity therapeutic approaches were then suggested, many of which werephytochemicals. Proposed actions on each target and all of the approaches were further reviewed forknown effects on other hallmark areas and the tumor microenvironment. Potential contrary or procar-cinogenic effects were found for 3.9% of the relationships between targets and hallmarks, and mixedevidence of complementary and contrary relationships was found for 7.1%. Approximately 67% of therelationships revealed potentially complementary effects, and the remainder had no known relationship. Among the approaches, 1.1% had contrary, 2.8% had mixed and 62.1% had complementary relationships. These results suggest that a broad-spectrum approach should be feasible from a safety standpoint. Thisnovel approach has potential to be relatively inexpensive, it should help us address stages and types ofcancer that lack conventional treatment, and it may reduce relapse risks. A proposed agenda for futureresearch is offered
Mapping child growth failure across low- and middle-income countries
Childhood malnutrition is associated with high morbidity and mortality globally1. Undernourished children are more likely to experience cognitive, physical, and metabolic developmental impairments that can lead to later cardiovascular disease, reduced intellectual ability and school attainment, and reduced economic productivity in adulthood2. Child growth failure (CGF), expressed as stunting, wasting, and underweight in children under five years of age (0�59 months), is a specific subset of undernutrition characterized by insufficient height or weight against age-specific growth reference standards3�5. The prevalence of stunting, wasting, or underweight in children under five is the proportion of children with a height-for-age, weight-for-height, or weight-for-age z-score, respectively, that is more than two standard deviations below the World Health Organization�s median growth reference standards for a healthy population6. Subnational estimates of CGF report substantial heterogeneity within countries, but are available primarily at the first administrative level (for example, states or provinces)7; the uneven geographical distribution of CGF has motivated further calls for assessments that can match the local scale of many public health programmes8. Building from our previous work mapping CGF in Africa9, here we provide the first, to our knowledge, mapped high-spatial-resolution estimates of CGF indicators from 2000 to 2017 across 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 99 of affected children live1, aggregated to policy-relevant first and second (for example, districts or counties) administrative-level units and national levels. Despite remarkable declines over the study period, many LMICs remain far from the ambitious World Health Organization Global Nutrition Targets to reduce stunting by 40 and wasting to less than 5 by 2025. Large disparities in prevalence and progress exist across and within countries; our maps identify high-prevalence areas even within nations otherwise succeeding in reducing overall CGF prevalence. By highlighting where the highest-need populations reside, these geospatial estimates can support policy-makers in planning interventions that are adapted locally and in efficiently directing resources towards reducing CGF and its health implications. © 2020, The Author(s)
On the mechanisms governing gas penetration into a tokamak plasma during a massive gas injection
A new 1D radial fluid code, IMAGINE, is used to simulate the penetration of gas into a tokamak plasma during a massive gas injection (MGI). The main result is that the gas is in general strongly braked as it reaches the plasma, due to mechanisms related to charge exchange and (to a smaller extent) recombination. As a result, only a fraction of the gas penetrates into the plasma. Also, a shock wave is created in the gas which propagates away from the plasma, braking and compressing the incoming gas. Simulation results are quantitatively consistent, at least in terms of orders of magnitude, with experimental data for a D 2 MGI into a JET Ohmic plasma. Simulations of MGI into the background plasma surrounding a runaway electron beam show that if the background electron density is too high, the gas may not penetrate, suggesting a possible explanation for the recent results of Reux et al in JET (2015 Nucl. Fusion 55 093013)
Geographical and temporal distribution of SARS-CoV-2 clades in the WHO European Region, January to June 2020
We show the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 genetic clades over time and between countries and outline potential genomic surveillance objectives. We applied three available genomic nomenclature systems for SARS-CoV-2 to all sequence data from the WHO European Region available during the COVID-19 pandemic until 10 July 2020. We highlight the importance of real-time sequencing and data dissemination in a pandemic situation. We provide a comparison of the nomenclatures and lay a foundation for future European genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2.Peer reviewe
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