2,543 research outputs found
PC1643+4631A,B: The Lyman-Alpha Forest at the Edge of Coherence
This is the first measurement and detection of coherence in the intergalactic
medium (IGM) at substantially high redshift (z~3.8) and on large physical
scales (~2.5 h^-1 Mpc). We perform the measurement by presenting new
observations from Keck LRIS of the high redshift quasar pair PC 1643+4631A, B
and their Ly-alpha absorber coincidences. This experiment extends multiple
sightline quasar absorber studies to higher redshift, higher opacity, larger
transverse separation, and into a regime where coherence across the IGM becomes
weak and difficult to detect. We fit 222 discrete Ly-alpha absorbers to
sightline A and 211 to sightline B. Relative to a Monte Carlo pairing test
(using symmetric, nearest neighbor matching) the data exhibit a 4sigma excess
of pairs at low velocity splitting (<150 km/s), thus detecting coherence on
transverse scales of ~2.5 h^-1 Mpc. We use spectra extracted from an SPH
simulation to analyze symmetric pair matching, transmission distributions as a
function of redshift and compute zero-lag cross-correlations to compare with
the quasar pair data. The simulations agree with the data with the same
strength (~4sigma) at similarly low velocity splitting above random chance
pairings. In cross-correlation tests, the simulations agree when the mean flux
(as a function of redshift) is assumed to follow the prescription given by
Kirkman et al. (2005). While the detection of flux correlation (measured
through coincident absorbers and cross-correlation amplitude) is only
marginally significant, the agreement between data and simulations is
encouraging for future work in which even better quality data will provide the
best insight into the overarching structure of the IGM and its understanding as
shown by SPH simulations.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures; accepted for publication in Astronomical
Journa
The light baryon spectrum in a relativistic quark model with instanton-induced quark forces I. The non-strange baryon spectrum and ground-states
This is the second of a series of three papers treating light baryon
resonances up to 3 GeV within a relativistically covariant quark model based on
the three-fermion Bethe-Salpeter equation with instantaneous two- and
three-body forces. In this paper we apply the covariant Salpeter framework
(which we developed in the first paper) to specific quark model calculations.
Quark confinement is realized by a linearly rising three-body string potential
with appropriate spinorial structures in Dirac-space. To describe the hyperfine
structure of the baryon spectrum we adopt 't Hooft's residual interaction based
on QCD-instanton effects and demonstrate that the alternative
one-gluon-exchange is disfavored phenomenological grounds. Our fully
relativistic framework allows to investigate the effects of the full Dirac
structures of residual and confinement forces on the structure of the mass
spectrum. In the present paper we present a detailed analysis of the complete
non-strange baryon spectrum and show that several prominent features of the
nucleon spectrum such as e.g. the Roper resonance and approximate ''parity
doublets'' can be uniformly explained due to a specific interplay of
relativistic effects, the confinement potential and 't Hooft's force. The
results for the spectrum of strange baryons will be discussed in a subsequent
paper.Comment: 59 p. postscript, including 24 figures and 25 tables, submitted to
Eur.Phys.J.
Helicity amplitudes and electromagnetic decays of strange baryon resonances
We present results for the helicity amplitudes of the lowest-lying hyperon
resonances Y*, computed within the framework of the Bonn constituent-quark
model, which is based on the Bethe-Salpeter approach. The seven parameters
entering the model are fitted against the best known baryon masses.
Accordingly, the results for the helicity amplitudes are genuine predictions.
Some hyperon resonances are seen to couple more strongly to a virtual photon
with finite Q^2 than to a real photon. Other Y*'s, such as the S_{01}(1670)
Lambda resonance or the S_{11}(1620) Sigma resonance, have large
electromagnetic decay widths and couple very strongly to real photons. The
negatively-charged and neutral members of a Sigma* triplet may couple only
moderately to the Sigma(1193), while the positively-charged member of the same
Sigma* triplet displays a relatively large coupling to the Sigma^+(1193) state.
This illustrates the necessity of investigating all isospin channels in order
to obtain a complete picture of the hyperon spectrum.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, Proceedings of the Conference
"International Workshop on the Physics of Excited Baryons NSTAR 05",
Tallahassee, Florida (USA), Oct. 2005, contributed tal
The Meson Spectrum in a Covariant Quark Model
Within the framework of the instantaneous Bethe-Salpeter equation, we present
a detailed analysis of light meson spectra with respect to various
parameterizations of confinement in Dirac space. Assuming a linearly rising
quark-antiquark potential, we investigate two different spinorial forms (Dirac
structures), namely {1/2}(\Id\otimes\Id - \gamma^0\otimes\gamma^0) as well as
the -invariant combination {1/2}(\Id\otimes\Id -
\gamma^5\otimes\gamma^5 - \gamma^\mu\otimes\gamma_\mu), both providing a good
description of the ground state Regge trajectories up to highest observed
angular momenta. Whereas the first structure is slightly prefered concerning
numerous meson decay properties (see \cite{pap41}), we find the
-invariant force to be much more appropriate for the description of a
multitude of higher mass resonances discovered in the data of the {\sc Crystal
Barrel} collaboration during the last few years. Furthermore, this confinement
structure has the remarkable feature to yield a linear dependence of masses on
their radial excitation number. For many experimental resonances such a
trajectory-like behaviour was observed by Anisovich {\it et al.} We can confirm
that almost the same slope occurs for all trajectories. Adding the
-breaking instanton induced 't Hooft interaction we can compute the
pseudoscalar mass splittings with both Dirac structures and for the scalar
mesons a natural mechanism of flavour mixing is achieved. [...]Comment: 32 pages including 19 figures and 3 tables; submitted to Eur. Phys.
Effectiveness of the spot-on combination of moxidectin and imidacloprid (Advocate®) in the treatment of ocular thelaziosis by Thelazia callipaeda in naturally infected cats
Background: The present study evaluated the therapeutic effectiveness of moxidectin 1.0% (w/v) and imidacloprid 10% (w/v) (Advocate® spot-on solution for cats, Bayer Animal Health) against natural infections with the eyeworm Thelazia callipaeda in cats. This study was conducted as a GCP, negative-controlled, blinded and randomised field study in privately owned cats living in an area in southern Italy where T. callipaeda is enzootic. Methods: The study was carried out in 30 cats (19 females and 11 males, aged from 8 months to 5 years, weighing 1.2-5.2 kg) of different breeds, naturally infected by T. callipaeda. At study inclusion (Day 0), animals were physically examined and the infection level was assessed by examination of both eyes for clinical score and live adult T. callipaeda count. Each cat was weighed and randomly assigned to one of the treatment groups (G1: Advocate, G2: untreated control). Clinical assessments and T. callipaeda adult counts were performed on Day 14. At the study completion visit on Day 28, clinical assessments and counts of T. callipaeda adults and larvae were performed. All cats were daily observed by their owners and general health conditions were recorded during the entire period of the study. Results: The primary effectiveness variable was the percentage of animals in G1 group (Advocate) showing a complete elimination (parasitological cure) of adult eye worms at Day 14 and Day 28. The effectiveness of the treatment in the G1 group was 93.3 and 100% at Day 14 and Day 28, respectively, when compared to group G2. Total worm count reduction from both eyes for Advocate was 96.3% on Day 14 and 100% on Day 28. Clinical data were confirmed by the examination of conjunctival pouch flushing. An overall reduction in the number of cats with lacrimation and conjunctivitis was observed following treatment despite the fact that in a few cats treated with Advocate clinical signs persisted due to the chronic nature of the disease. Conclusions: Based on the results of the present trial, a single dose of Advocate was found to be safe and highly effective in the treatment of natural T. callipaeda infection in cats
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