213 research outputs found
Structures of small Ti- and V-doped Pt clusters : A GA-DFT study
AbstractHigh level GA-DFT searches are performed on small platinum clusters doped with early transition metal atoms, Ptx−yMy (M =Ti, V), where x=2–6, y=1, 2. Spin effects are studied and the global minimum structures are presented for the various spin multiplicities. It is found that varying spin can have significant effects on the pure Pt clusters, while spin has less effect for the doped clusters
Fibroblast migration and collagen deposition during dermal wound healing: mathematical modelling and clinical implications,
The extent to which collagen alignment occurs during dermal wound healing determines the severity of scar tissue formation. We have modelled this using a multiscale approach, in which extracellular materials, for example collagen and fibrin, are modelled as continua, while fibroblasts are considered as discrete units. Within this model framework, we have explored the effects that different parameters have on the alignment process, and we have used the model to investigate how manipulation of transforming growth factor-β levels can reduce scar tissue formation. We briefly review this body of work, then extend the modelling framework to investigate the role played by leucocyte signalling in wound repair. To this end, fibroblast migration and collagen deposition within both the wound region and healthy peripheral tissue are considered. Trajectories of individual fibroblasts are determined as they migrate towards the wound region under the combined influence of collagen/fibrin alignment and gradients in a paracrine chemoattractant produced by leucocytes. The effects of a number of different physiological and cellular parameters upon the collagen alignment and repair integrity are assessed. These parameters include fibroblast concentration, cellular speed, fibroblast sensitivity to chemoattractant concentration and chemoattractant diffusion coefficient. Our results show that chemoattractant gradients lead to increased collagen alignment at the interface between the wound and the healthy tissue. Results show that there is a trade-off between wound integrity and the degree of scarring. The former is found to be optimized under conditions of a large chemoattractant diffusion coefficient, while the latter can be minimized when repair takes place in the presence of a competitive inhibitor to chemoattractants
Solar Grand Minima and random fluctuations in dynamo parameters
We consider to what extent the long-term dynamics of cyclic solar activity in
the form of Grand Minima can be associated with random fluctuations of the
parameters governing the solar dynamo. We consider fluctuations of the
alpha-coefficient in the conventional Parker migratory dynamo, and also in
slightly more sophisticated dynamo models, and demonstrate that they can mimic
the gross features of the phenomenon of the occurrence of Grand Minima over a
suitable parameter range. The temporal distribution of these Grand Minima
appears chaotic, with a more or less exponential waiting time distribution,
typical of Poisson processes. In contrast however, the available reconstruction
of Grand Minima statistics based on cosmogenic isotope data demonstrates
substantial deviations from this exponential law. We were unable to reproduce
the non-Poissonic tail of the waiting time distribution either in the framework
of a simple alpha-quenched Parker model, or in its straightforward
generalization, nor in simple models with feedback on the differential
rotation. We suggest that the disagreement may only be apparent and is
plausibly related to the limited observational data, and that the observations
and results of numerical modeling can be consistent and represent physically
similar dynamo regimes.Comment: Solar Physics, in prin
Spectrum of the Y=2 Pentaquarks
By assuming a mass formula for the spectrum of the Y=2 pentaquarks, where the
chromo-magnetic interaction plays a main role, and identifying the lightest
state with the Theta^+(1540), we predict a spectrum in good agreement with the
few I=0 and I=1 candidates proposed in the past.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, LaTe
Pentaquark as Kaon-Nucleon Resonance
Several recent experiments have reported evidence for a narrow feature in the
K(+)-neutron system, an apparent resonant state ~ 100 MeV above threshold and
with a width < 25 MeV. This state has been labelled as Theta(+) (previously as
Z(*)), and because of the implied inclusion of a anti-strange quark, is
referred to as a pentaquark, that is, five quarks within a single bag. We
present an alternative explanation for such a structure, as a higher angular
momentum resonance in the isospin zero K(+) -N system. One might call this an
exit channel or a molecular resonance. In a non-relativistic potential model we
find a possible candidate for the kaon-nucleon system with relative angular
momentum L=3, while L=1 and 2 states possess centrifugal barriers too low to
confine the kaon and nucleon in a narrow state at an energy so high above
threshold. A rather strong state-dependence in the potential is essential,
however, for eliminating an observable L=2 resonance at lower energies.Comment: 4 page
Triple-Pomeron Matrix Model for Dispersive Corrections to Nucleon-Nucleus Total Cross Section
Dispersive corrections to the total cross section for high-energy scattering
from a heavy nucleus are calculated using a matrix model, based on the
triple-Pomeron behavior of diffractive scattering from a single nucleon, for
the cross section operator connecting different states of the projectile
nucleon . Energy-dependent effects due to the decrease in longitudinal momentum
transfers and the opening of more channels with increasing energy are included.
The three leading terms in an expansion in the number of inelastic transitions
are evaluated and compared to exact results for the model in the uniform
nuclear density approximation for the the scattering of nucleons from Pb^{208}
for laboratory momenta ranging from 50 to 200 GeV/c.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures, RevTex
Some (further) Comments on the Theta(1540) Pentaquark
Additional broader I=0 states in the KN channel near (1540) are
expected in many models, making the absence of any signature in the
K-deuteron scattering data even more puzzling.
In an ideal "three-body" picture the is viewed as two compact
ud(1)ud(2) color diquarks and an quark. A "QCD-type"
inequality involving , the mass of the L=1 excitation and that of a new I=0 tetraquark vector meson then follows.
The inequality suggests a very light new vector meson, and is violated.
We note that "associated production" of the pentaquark with another
quadriquark or anti-pentaquark may be favored. This along with some estimates
of the actual production cross sections suggest that the can be found
in BaBar or Belle e-e colliders.Comment: 6 page
Investigation of the high momentum component of nuclear wave function using hard quasielastic A(p,2p)X reactions
We present theoretical analysis of the first data on the high energy and
momentum transfer (hard) quasielastic reactions. The cross section
of hard reaction is calculated within the light-cone impulse
approximation based on two-nucleon correlation model for the high-momentum
component of the nuclear wave function. The nuclear effects due to modification
of the bound nucleon structure, soft nucleon-nucleon reinteraction in the
initial and final states of the reaction with and without color coherence have
been considered. The calculations including these nuclear effects show that the
distribution of the bound proton light-cone momentum fraction shifts
towards small values (), effect which was previously derived only
within plane wave impulse approximation. This shift is very sensitive to the
strength of the short range correlations in nuclei. Also calculated is an
excess of the total longitudinal momentum of outgoing protons. The calculations
are compared with data on the reaction obtained from the EVA/AGS
experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory. These data show -shift in
agreement with the calculations. The comparison allows also to single out the
contribution from short-range nucleon correlations. The obtained strength of
the correlations is in agreement with the values previously obtained from
electroproduction reactions on nuclei.Comment: 30 pages LaTex file and 19 eps figure
A Naturally Narrow Positive Parity Theta^+
We present a consistent color-flavor-spin-orbital wave function for a
positive parity Theta^+ that naturally explains the observed narrowness of the
state. The wave function is totally symmetric in its flavor-spin part and
totally antisymmetric in its color-orbital part. If flavor-spin interactions
dominate, this wave function renders the positive parity Theta^+ lighter than
its negative parity counterpart. We consider decays of the Theta^+ and compute
the overlap of this state with the kinematically allowed final states. Our
results are numerically small. We note that dynamical correlations between
quarks are not necessary to obtain narrow pentaquark widths.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, Revtex4, two-column format, version to be
published in Phys. Rev. D, includes numerical estimates of decay width
Z^* Resonances: Phenomenology and Models
We explore the phenomenology of, and models for, the Z^* resonances, the
lowest of which is now well established, and called the Theta. We provide an
overview of three models which have been proposed to explain its existence
and/or its small width, and point out other relevant predictions, and potential
problems, for each. The relation to what is known about KN scattering,
including possible resonance signals in other channels, is also discussed.Comment: 29 pages, uses RevTeX4; expanded version (published form
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